“I love you.”

Well, I said it. I’ve said it to all my girlfriends because it just makes us look more serious. I hope this doesn’t change anything about our relationship. Just didn’t feel like waiting, and she seemed happy that I said it.

“I love you.”

I can not believe she’s dying. Fifty years of marriage. The best years of my life with my favorite person. When her life ends, she’s taking a part of me with her. I just wish she was able to say it back.

Each individual said the same word; how can the meaning be so different? The word love has lost its meaning. 

For some, love is a cheap emotion. People like to say I love you strictly to fit into society’s norm and to be socially accepted like other couples. Does the speaker love the person or do they love what comes along with saying it. A West Ottawa junior said, “People in high school immaturely take advantage of the perks that a relationship offers rather than the bond they have because that is what society deems to be most important.” People judge others for sleeping with someone but that judgment seems to diminish when they “love each other.” Saying I love you to someone is viewed to be a gateway to receiving these perks and is one of the reasons to say it.

For others, love is anything but selfish. It is a commitment with a focus to put the others’ needs before your own. A husband said, “I love you means I’ll stick with you through the good and the bad. My love for you is not dependent on circumstances or anything external. Young people can misinterpret their in-the-moment feelings for love.” Perks aside, love for an individual will remain the same if the sentiment is genuine. Love for an individual is a personal bond that is fought for when difficult. 

A word can only have one definition. 

What love does NOT mean:

• I think you’re cute
• I want to get with you
• I think you’re sweet
• I want to hang out with you

What love does mean:

• I am dedicated to you
• I will always stick by you
• I see a future with you
• I care for every aspect of you

So why does the word “love” have such widely different meanings? If we don’t adjust our understanding of what love really means, then soon, it won’t mean much. The word love is so corrupt that the meaning of the word has been devalued. How we get loved influences how we portray our own love to others. So what will love mean in 50 years?

I wish saying goodbye now was as easy as it was after our first date. The moment I knew she was different.  Her blonde hair has turned to gray, and her eyes don’t hold as much life anymore. Yet, she’s as perfect as the moment she walked down the aisle. Knowing this is my last time, I grab her hand. “I love you.” I wonder if she can even hear me.