That Trite Magical Mantra

I’m finding it extremely difficult not to say “I love you” to my family - apparently it’s an overused phrase (at least with me), so I’ve decided to go a while without saying it. 

Man, this is hard. 

I guess it’s just always on my mind. My family has been so good to me, and every time something wonderful happens, or one of my siblings does something sweet for me, my immediate response is the first thing on my mind: “I… love… you.”

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, so during this time of abstinence from the oft-repeated phrase, I’m hoping that my heart, and the hearts of those around me, grow fonder of the good ol’ ILU; that it’ll mean more; that it will be special - not just a display of instant emotions and feelings - a truly, deep, meaningful expression of what I’ve chosen to emote. 

We’ll see how this period of time slows down to a crawl, I’m sure. But it’ll be worth it! I’ll learn to be patient, it will teach me to appreciate the little things in life. Like raindrops, or grains of sand; toast, or clouds; maps, or daisies…