Dear Editor: "Love" You

Dear Editor,

What is the difference between someone saying “I love you” and the popular phrase we all love to bandy around: “love you?” How about the one that comes to one’s lips even easier, “love ya?” One might note a fairly close correlation between this and the subject at hand: “Do we really care?”

The answer, of course, is “Yes, yes, we DO care!” The extent to which we care, however, is the issue.

The care which the majority of us exercise (if we care at all) might seem rather generic, if you think about it. In this part of the country, especially, when some kind of disaster strikes at the heart, close at hand, so to speak, the majority of people show how much they really do care. Usually, it is at times like this our own individual cares are overshadowed, for a time at least, by the cares that surround us on a daily basis.

It’s easy to say, “love you,” or even “if you need anything...” Often though these words come a bit too easily. However, when we share in our suffering with those around us, to whatever extent, we quickly learn who really does care, who really means it when they say, “if you need anything...”

Just as the words “I love you” or even just “love you” don’t mean a thing unless followed up by an active show of care, so we should all exercise great care when we bandy these words about. It’s good to say you care, or even that you love them, but when you do, make sure you actually mean it!

Charles Haddon Shank

Whitehall, Montana