“I love you.” Three of the most powerful words that hold the significance to impact each and every one of our lives. There is a famous quote, “It’s the little things that count” and one of these is saying these three words. The reason it is so important to tell your family and friends that you love them all the time is because one day you will not be able to tell them that anymore. One day someone close to you will leave your life and you will want to take them back just to show them how much you really do love them.

It is common for all of us to take things for granted these days. There are several times that I get so caught up in the life I’m living that I do not always appreciate those who love me and everything they do for me. Getting caught up in our lives and not holding onto that appreciation is what gives us the capability to have negative attitudes towards the people we really love. These attitudes are what lead us to hold grudges, which can be very unhealthy and dangerous.

It is easier for some people to let go of something causing tension in-between two people who love each other, perhaps a family member. However, for others it is very simple to hold grudges. Different people in my life have taught me the importance of letting go of that certain tension that may be causing a strain in a relationship for you and a loved one. Growing up and learning that people can be taken away so easily from you, my family and I have made the decision to always say “I love you” before hanging up the phone. It can be the simplest conversation asking my mom when she will be home and it still has become a habit to end the conversation with these three words. That’s because we don’t want anyone to forget that.

Having conversations to reconcile with a loved one is so important because if you don’t, then you are just pushing yourself further away. I would like to thank my dad for teaching my siblings and I this important lesson. From his personal experience, he has taught my sisters, brother and I how lucky we are to have each other. As he was driving to drop me off at my second year of college just the other day, he said something that has not left my mind. He said, “You just can’t take sh*t for granted. God’s the one holding all the cards I guess.” This has stuck with me because I was leaving my entire family for college and I felt guilty for not saying goodbye to any of my siblings. I just thought “Oh, I’ll see them soon anyways.” I regret leaving them without saying goodbye, without hugging each and every one of them, and especially without saying “I love you.” No one should ever leave without saying “I love you” because they deserve to know that. It’s the little things that count, especially three little words.