Three little words

Words are amazing. There are some who think that without words, we are animals. There are three specific words that make a huge and changing impact on our lives. Not "clean your room" or "eat your peas". No, I'm talking about "I love you".

Those three simple words mean so many many different things. And the meaning morphs over the years. Consider this, as a child, I love you has a completely innocent meaning. You love your parents, and your friends, and you even love that kid you just met at the park. When you get older, in those dreaded teenage years, you love your boyfriend. (Lord help us.) Then you get, you know, old, and you love your spouse and junk. And when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much... Yep, kids. And you love them. And then they learn to talk... and it's all over from there.

At first they love you for real, and then they learn. Oh ho, do they learn. When my babies tell me they love me, they either actually mean it, have made a truly epic mess or really really want something. When my daughter painted the dining room with chocolate syrup, she loved me. When my son desperately wanted some dumb toy he saw on a commercial, he loved me. And when he got a boo boo and I made it better, he loved me.

I know from experience what it will soon turn into. I love you Daddy, give me money. I love you Mommy, I failed science. I love you guys, I wrecked the car, got a tattoo, ran over the neighbors dog, got arrested please bail me out did I mention I love you. And then the cycle will repeat and I will get as much joy out of laughing at my kids becoming parents as mine get from watching me. And yes Mom, you were right. I love you (I'm sorry for ever being a teenager.)