Photography by Nati Melnychuk from Unsplash
Although February is known to be the month of love, it's always great to be a source of one of the most powerful drivers of progress—love—all year round.
Whenever we make the people we value the most feel loved, whether they're a significant other, our good friends, or our chosen family, we never know what it could do to make their journey feel lighter while making it feel richer. Because of the same reason, it might feel a bit pressured to constantly show the people we love how much we feel for them. For some, it might manifest in a way that nothing could encapsulate how much certain people mean to us. All these factors can come into view with such a complex yet meaningful thing as love, and with a month marked by the very feeling, it could leave you stumped.
And so, in the spirit of those who need a place to start or find new ways to let the people they love know about it, here are a few different ways to say I love you— for the month of love and the rest of the year.
Say it differently.
Photography by Javel Williams from Unsplash
Nothing could quite beat hearing three simple words from someone you love, but whenever you want to verbalize how you feel in a different but equally meaningful way, try saying these:
You matter.
You are a positive impact.
Life feels a little easier with you.
You're home to me.
Going and growing through life with you is a blessing.
Add a gift card with your I love you notes.
Show them you're rooting for them.
Photography by Atak Narman from Unsplash
A deep love could show itself in the guise of constant support— allowing both of you to grow as individuals while knowing you have someone to talk to about your ups and downs and root for the person you're able to be. It's often hard to show this, especially when we all have different expectations and needs. A show of support for you might not feel like support for your favorite people. And it's a way to show you're paying attention or doing your best to communicate these. If you have a good idea of how your partners, friends, or chosen family likes to be supported, try these:
Carry a light inconvenience. For those who need a light, guiding hand. Sometimes we don't need to do a grand task off the list, but a small one that saves five minutes or a lighter load off their mental list. Maybe they love a cup of joe in the morning but can never seem to fit it into their morning routine— a mug of their favorite drink could mean the world. Perhaps they always forget (or generally aren't huge fans) to take their health supplements, and you generally find it a great deal to lay it out for them. Go ahead and do it lovingly, gently. These seem like small things, but they make the people we love feel supported in more ways than we know.
Remember a dream they own. For those who tend to put others first. We all know how life can get in the way of things we've always wanted to try out, achieve or hone. The same applies to those we love. Whenever we look back on conversations, there must be something they've always dreamed of doing or having. Try reminding them that they can reach for these if they want to, or softly push them towards the direction through actions. The act of remembering that they have more to fulfill instead of the one track they tend to focus on will make them feel there's someone out there looking out for them in more than one aspect of their life.
Nudge them toward their skin goals.
Listen how the way they want you to. For those who find comfort in presence. Often, we fail to communicate, grasp or even open the topic of how we want to listen. Sometimes, when we find comfort in people we love, we tend to forget our souls, despite being soulmates with our favorites are still different. That is why some people might find comfort in solution-finding to wrap up hard or deep conversations, and some might find it off-putting. No matter how far or deep you are in a relationship, don't be afraid to ask once in a while, How do you want me to listen to you?
Romanticize your time with them.
Photography by Atak Narman from Unsplash
When we think of showing or saying we love the people we love, we expect it to be bigger and brighter, highlighted the most, and remembered during anniversaries, Valentine's, and any other occasion. However, we highly encourage making every day with the people you love the most filled with wonder and giddy-making as often as you can. Make at-home dinner dates with your significant other a regular. Do stimulating activities with your best friends. Cherish deep talks with your chosen family. When we begin to value the small moments as much as the big ones, the people we spend that time with will feel it. They'll find it just as significant.
Making people feel our love could sometimes be multi-layered, complex but whatever complexity comes with encapsulating how we feel always comes back tenfold when we see how it could make our favorite people’s day, month, or year. How are you planning to show them you love them all year round?