I Won’t Always Tell You I Love You, But I’ll Show You
I’ve always thought love should be more than words written on special occasions or a text embedded with “I love you”. Words don’t keep you warm at night and they certainly don’t go to the store with you. I’ve always thought love was about showing up. The way I choose to show love has been a direct cause of my past failed relationships.
People want to be told that they are loved; they want words more than they want action. So my promise to my future lover is this:
I won’t tell you every second of everyday that I love you, but when I say it you won’t ever doubt it. I won’t say it, but I’ll show you day in and day out. I won’t always remember to tell you I love you before work, but I’ll call you to ask what you had for lunch and just to check in with you. I won’t always put notes in your lunch, but you’ll be the only thought that crosses my mind.
I won’t write you love letters, but I’ll make the bed every day, I’ll make you breakfast some days, I’ll get up to get you the things you’re too lazy to move for, I’ll start the car so you don’t have to sit in the cold, I’ll make sure you remember your parent’s birthdays, I’ll always worry about you, I’ll always pick up your favorite candy when I’m at the store, I’ll bring you home surprises sometimes just so you know I still care, I’ll always ask how your day was, and I’ll be sure to listen.
I won’t climb the highest mountain top and shout about our love, but I’ll write down our stories, I’ll look at you and smile, because I know how lucky I am to have you. There won’t ever be a famous novel or movie about our love story, but I’ll always remember the exact moment I fell in love with you and I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen that you have always been the greatest thing to happen to me. I’ll take our kids to soccer practice and make sure they drink enough water.
I’ll make sure to always film it so you can watch it later or at least pretend to. I won’t always hold your hand in the car, but I’ll always do the dishes without complaining, I’ll take interest in the things that matter to you, I’ll support any hobbies you randomly take up, I’ll read your favorite book, I’ll always ask for seconds when you cook even if it’s not good, I’ll always be happy in the mornings because I get to wake up to you, and I’ll never leave angry.
I can’t promise you words of love written on the back of pictures, but I can promise to never walk away from you, I promise to always apologize when I’m wrong, to always sit in silence when you just need someone to listen, I promise to eat your favorite cereal, I promise to buy your favorite things just because they remind me of you, and I promise to always be thankful for the things that remind me of you.
I can’t promise to tell you I love you over and over, but I promise you’ll always know I do. The “I love you’s” will be painted in everything I do for you every day, it’ll be written across my face every time I see you, and it’ll always be permanently written on my heart. I love you won’t always be in my words, so you’ll have to listen more carefully, and if you do you’ll understand that how much I love you could never be spoken.