Show the Love

"Love your friends and family and make your best attempts to show them that love every day - not because you fear they might not be here tomorrow, not because any religion or rule of society tells you to do so. Love shouldn't be based on fear or obligation. Show them you love them, because it is what they deserve, and it is what you deserve, and it is the natural and joyful thing to do."

 

The above quote was my facebook status today, and below I will fill you in on why I was inspired to write it...

I have been exposed to several instances lately where quotes have arisen giving the repeating theme of "show those you love that you love them, because they might not be here tomorrow". The most recent one I encountered was the story of a small boy who, by way of a freak accident, was struck in the head with a tree branch and has been fighting a difficult battle ever since. It is a heart-wrenching story for anyone to read - especially a parent. My heart goes out to anyone who has to stand by and watch their child fight such a war while all they can do is sit idly by their side and cheer them on, but unable to truly fight for them - lives forever changed. While I do think it is great to turn around and create a positive by hugging those we love and being thankful that they are safe and healthy when we see instances of others who are not quite so lucky, it does bring up some questions for me. Shouldn't we be loving them and appreciating them like that every day? How many of us really are? Why not?

We should simply love and show our appreciation without obligation and without being reminded to do so. I know I am guilty of letting days pass without truly showing my friends and family how much they mean to me, and I am making a decision right now to change that. Even if it is just a small reminder to let others know that I am thinking of them. I choose to do this not out of fear of losing them or fear of regrets. It is a natural reaction that I think we just need to allow to surface more often rather than setting it aside while we attend to other things. Truly, even if I knew with 100% certainty that the people I love would still be around tomorrow, they still deserve to know today how much they mean to me.