You Cannot Wear ‘I Love You’ As An Apology

You cannot wear ‘I Love You’ as an apology.

You cannot hollow out a person like termites hollow out a log and then stroke the surface gently and tell him he is beautiful.

You cannot leave someone alone in the desert, experiencing a drought, and drop I Love You’s into his starving mouth as a false Oasis.

You cannot offer your love as a safe harbor of light to a ship that is unaware of the rocks on your shore.

You cannot take trust freely given to you and run straight to the bank, planning to store it away in your vault and keep it to yourself forever without ever giving it back.

What you can do is wrap your love gently around a person who is aching from the cold of isolation as if it is a soft down blanket. You can answer the statement “I just need a hug today” with “yes of course, and here is all the love in my chest. Take it for yourself and find solace and hope once again, I’ll be good on my own for as long as you need it.”

What you can do is take his hand and hold it as you wade into the ocean, promising silently to be his life vest when the waters get rough. What you can do is trust him to do the same.

What you need to do is love honestly and openly and with palms open and stretched out and vulnerable.