“I love you.” Those three words hold so much power on their own. Love can be a crazy and powerful thing… but to me love is so more than that. Love is caring and nurturing, love is passionate, motivational and purely vulnerable. You can love anything and anyone and that’s what makes it so utterly amazing. Love is the something everyone should be able to share.

      “I reserve that word for people in my life I truly love and care about, not just anybody,” sophomore Micah Andrews said.

      One of the biggest misconceptions with love is that this sense of affection can only be expressed between lovers. Love isn’t something that is confined solely to romantic relationships, it is meant to be expressed between friends, family, and even pets. Love can be completely platonic and there is nothing wrong with that. Such endearment is even embedded into everyday activities; you can love your job, your hobbies, your interests, your passions and so much more. Yet some still refuse to express that passion and fondness with the world. Everyone is allowed to share their love with the and it’s not something that should be feared.

      “I think it’s necessary to share your emotions,” junior Jenna Hodges said. “Why would you keep them all bottled up?”

      I’ve always been in-touch with my emotions and I will never be afraid to show them to those people who are close to me. I enjoy expressing my thoughts, opinions and most importantly, my admiration with my close family and friends, and I always have. To me saying those three words is essential when it comes to my relationships. Instead of saying “goodbye” or “see you later” to those close to me, I say “I love you”; it may be weird to some but to me, that’s the way it should be. Those simple words are so meaningful and heartfelt to me and way more genuine than anything else. Saying “I love you” is another way I can express my deeper emotions and feelings for those people who I hold dear. When I care for someone and wish nothing but the best for them, that simply means I love them and that isn’t something I should hide.

      A lot of people assume that because I say “I love you” so often, that means I’m not being genuine… but alas, that is very false. In fact, I personally believe that because I say it so much it only shows how genuine I truly am. Saying “I love you” is something that has become habitual to me; I can’t help myself from saying it. When I leave for school I say it to my parents, when I head to class I say it to my friends and even when I hang up the phone I say it. I even get upset when people don’t say it back to me, because I wish people were as open to these things as I am. I tend to live in the moment, and because of that I want to make sure that all of my close ones are aware of my true admiration. I want them to know that I love and care for them and that I am always there to help when they’re in need. But one big reason I do say these three words frequently is because I’m scared. What if I never see this person again? What if we have a terrible fight? What if I can never say it again? These few questions always pop into my head and because of that, I feel the need to always share what I feel. I’d rather confess my feelings to their full extent rather than never have to chance to share them again.

      Saying “I love you” isn’t some odd phenomenon that should be pushed away and shunned by the masses. People run from love and affection when in actuality, we all need that love and comfort to feel validated and genuinely happy. Some are even scared to share that deep and vulnerable side with others; but love isn’t something that should be feared, it should be embraced.