We find ourselves telling each other the deepest details of our lives...things we don't even share with our families. But what is a friend? A confidant? A lover? A shoulder to cry on? An ear to listen? A heart to feel? A friend is all of these things and more. No matter where we met, no matter how long we've been together...I call you a friend. A world so small, yet so large in feeling, a word filled with emotion, a word overflowing with Love.

Truly great things come in small packages. Once the package of friendship has been opened, it can never be closed. It is a constant book always waiting...waiting to be read...and enjoyed.

We may have our disagreements... we may have our disappointments... we may argue... we may concern one another... friendship is a unique bond that lasts through all tribulations. A part of each of us goes into our friendships... our humor... our experiences... our tears.

Friendships are foundations... necessary for life...and love. Friends...you and me...You brought another friend and then there were three...we started our group... our circle of friends...there is no beginning...there is no end. Even though I don't speak to you all everyday...or even as often as I would like to...You have all crossed my path of life in one way or another...some of you I've only bumped into...some have walked a while with me...and some of you will continue to walk with me...but DON'T EVER THINK FOR A SECOND that since we aren't in constant contact...that I don't think of you all...because if it wasn't for coming across all of YOU...who knows? I would be a completely different person...and...well... I'm happy with how I've turned out so far.

There are times when we are timid and shy about expressing the love we feel. For fear of embarrassing the other person, or yourselves, we hesitate to say the actual words "I love you." So we try to communicate the idea in other words.

We say 'take care' or 'don't drive too fast' or 'be good.' But really, these are just other ways of saying 'I love you,' 'you are important to me,' 'I care what happens to you,' 'I don't want you to get hurt.' We are sometimes very strange people. The only thing we want to say, and the one thing that we should say, is the one thing we don't say. And yet, because the feeling is so real, and the need to say it is so strong, we are driven to use other words and signs to say what we really mean. And many times the meaning never gets communicated at all and the other person is left feeling unloved and unwanted.

Therefore, we have to LISTEN FOR LOVE in the words that people are saying to us. Sometimes the explicit words are necessary, but more often, the manner of saying things is even more important. A joyous insult carries more affection and love within the sentiments which are expressed insincerely. An impulsive hug says I LOVE YOU even though the words might be saying very different.

Any expression of a person's concern for another says I love you. Sometimes the expression is clumsy, sometimes even cruel. Sometimes we must look and listen very intently for the love that contains. But it is often there, beneath the surface.

A mother may nag her son constantly about his grades or cleaning his room. The son may hear only the nagging, but if he listens carefully, he will hear the love underneath the nagging. His mother wants him to do well, to be successful. Her concern and love for her son unfortunately emerge in her nagging. But it is love all the same.

We say I love you in many ways- with birthday gifts, and little notes, with smiles and sometimes with tears. Sometimes we show our love by just keeping quiet and not saying a word, at other times by speaking out, even brusquely. We show our love sometimes by impulsiveness. Many times we have to show our love by forgiving someone who has not listened to the love we have tried to express. The problem is listening for love is that we don't always understand the language of love which the other person is using.

The problem with our world is that people rarely listen to each other. They hear the words, but they don't listen to the actions that accompany the words or the expression on the face. Or people listen only for rejection or misunderstanding. They do not see the love that is there just beneath the surface, even if the words are angry.

We have to listen for love in those around us. If we listen intently we will discover that we are a lot more loved than we realize. Listen for love and we will find that the world is a very loving place after all.

LOVE is a happy thing.
It makes us laugh.
It makes us sing.
It makes us sad.
It makes us cry.
It makes us seek the reason why.
It makes us take.
It makes us give.
Above all else it makes us LIVE.

It is not the presence or absence of people that makes the difference because a person need not be lonely even if he is alone. Sometimes it is good to be alone. But that does not make us lonely. It is not a matter of being present WITH someone. It is a matter of being present TO someone.

So remember...
If you love someone, tell them. Remember always to say what you mean. Never be afraid to express yourself. Take this opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you. Seize the day and have no regrets. Most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the person that you are today and are what it's all about anyway.

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