Every time I hear Stevie Wonder’s song, I Just Called to Say I Love You, I find myself paying careful attention to every word; singing them in my head, dissecting them and really taking them to heart.
Stevie said, I just called to say I love you, not I just texted to say I love you, not I just emailed to say I love you. . .the man said he called, plain and simple. I get that texting is the hot new thing but it will never replace hearing someone’s voice and the inflections in their tone or if someone is choked up with emotion. You cannot gage any of that via text. I will text but am not a fan of it especially for the fact that it’s a scapegoat for not having a human connection with someone. I think we can all be happy that texting didn’t exist when Stevie wrote this song—it would not have had the same sentiment or ring to it. I don’t know what it is about song but for me, the mere fact that someone called simply to say I love you is such a grand gesture that it warms my heart and makes me smile. I want to do exactly that for someone—pass that feeling on. Life is so fleeting. Who can you call just to say I love you?
Last year after losing a very dear friend unexpectedly, I was devastated because of the suddenness but I wasn’t destroyed. We made a habit of ending our calls with I love you’s because we had mutual love and respect for each other. And I must dispel those rumors that men and women can’t be friends because that’s what we were and fully comfortable expressing our love. As I have gotten older, I have learned the importance of saying those three words and find myself saying them more often than not. We never know when it will be the last time we get to say those words to someone we love.
Call home, call your Mom, Dad, friends or someone who you truly love and just say, ‘I love you.’
I do realize that everyone’s love language is different but to be able to say those words are liberating and natural. If God is love and he created us in his image, then what does that make us? And when you say these words, don’t let them be empty—say them, mean them, live up to them.
The most read book in the world, talks about love, how it is patient, kind and keeps no records of right or wrong and is not boastful. I’m intrigued every day how folks say, ‘I love you’ as casually as saying ‘hello’ and oftentimes do not mean it. How many times do we say things as adults and turn around and hurt the ones we love.
Today I urge you to examine your hearts if the whole “love” bit is a conundrum but for those whose crystal balls are clear, do like Stevie and just pick up that phone, cellphone, landline, Skype and just say. . . I love you. . .from the bottom of your heart.
© September 2012 by Denise McFarlane
according2dee 
Wow. Well put. I do tend to over text myself being naturally or perhaps unnaturally introverted especially lately…but you’re right – there is no such thing as the real thing!