And so it is...
Things aren't supposed to get more tense. They aren't supposed to become difficult all of the sudden and they certainly aren't supposed to make you wish that they weren't said. They are supposed to be happy words. Words that have had little to no meaning for me for years....Now I fear that they might end up the same way.
I get that its difficult. Its a personal challenge, though. Thats how I see it. If 3 words are difficult to say, then use this opportunity to show me what those words really mean to you. If you have a hard time keeping gossip to yourself, then challenege yourself not to tell something you heard. If you have a hard time keeping your word, then go out of your way to make sure you hold up your end of the deal. And if you tell someone you love them, go out of your comfort zone to say it. They'll know that the challenge of you actually being able to say it is what the love is, not the words.
"I love you" is just words. Three simple words that mean nothing unless there is sacrifice behind them. Unless you are doing something to make those words hold meaning, its just a pretty piece of syntax that a 2 year old can say as flippantly as a 16 year old. Or, I guess, a 25 year old.
Saying the words, believing the words is my sacrifice. What is yours?