saying ‘i love you’

funny how many things change as you grow older.

you are more wary about what you say, what you do and how you dress.

there is so much caution. so much preparation. so much worry.

too little spontaneity and fun.

as kids, we readily tell everybody we love that we love them.

kids are a loving bunch.

but as i grew older and as i dated,

and as each boy came and went, i find myself saying those three words less often.

perhaps it’s the doubt that had started to creep in. i wondered whether i actually meant it.

i’m sure i did. but i cannot be too sure if i understood its meaning.

all those times that i thought i was in love, i was actually searching.

and you know  you have found love when you are able to say it with such emotion

that it resonates and burns through you.

finally, i can say that i have found the one to whom the words mean more than just the sum of its phonetics or alphabets.

there were some issues. there were plenty of doubts. but we managed to talk it out and understand one another better.

now, i can say with all my heart and soul,

that meeting you was one of the best things that has happened

and i love you.