"I Love You"

... and what that means to me.

I know someone. I bump into her on a regular basis in town. I'm admitting here that I love her, very much.

Let me qualify that a little, in case this wonderful woman is reading this.

There are many lovely women in my life, and I love them. This woman, included. When I see them, I smile - regardless of how I feel up to that point. This woman I know makes me smile more than most - but that is not important, for very vital reasons. Not the least of which being that she has already chosen her partner.

I wanted to say what I mean when I say to someone "I love you," as compared to how most women interpret it when a random guy (whom they respect and trust, rather than a stranger on the street) says "I love you" to them.

This is what I am saying.

I love (talking to you, because we share common knowledge.)

I love (how your smile warms my soul on my darkest days.)

I love (making you laugh without obligation.)

I love (that you make me just break out laughing.)

I love (how closely we have come, when I thought I could never have close friends)

I love (that we trust one another so much)

I love (our differences)

I love (our similarities)

I love (our friendship)

I love (your trust)

I love (that, even though this will never be a romance; never intimate; nonetheless I can see us being very close)

I love (all of the above, and so much more, in) you.

As I pointed out today ... I don't have any lovers.

But I will never run out of loved ones.