LOVE is a big word and I think people often give it far too much attention. In many peoples’ minds, LOVE is saved only for the most special, our life partner, our children, etc. But actually, you can LOVE many people; friends, colleagues and more distant family members.

I think sometimes we can be too reticent to show people we LOVE them. We can feel afraid that maybe they don’t reciprocate the feeling or embarrassed in case other people judge us for expressing ourselves.

Here’s an example; I grew up in a culture where it was perfectly normal for men to kiss each other. I would kiss my dad, grandfathers, uncles etc in the same way that I’d kiss my mother, grandmothers, aunties etc. I know that in more traditional British families, grandfathers especially were greeted with a handshake and nothing more, but in my family, we kissed. As I grew up, I became increasingly aware of this and started to feel embarrassed. I didn’t want to kiss male relatives any more and shied away from more physical contact because I was afraid that friends and contemporaries might make fun of me. Looking back now, I realise this was stupid, but especially as a child, you don’t want people taking the piss out of you if you can avoid it.

Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve spun right the other way. Realising that we’re not on this planet for that long and that it’s important to let people know how you feel about them, I’ve taken to letting people know that I LOVE them. I kiss male relatives and even my closest male friends, it just feels natural that when you greet a good friend, you want them to know just how pleased you are to see them.

At work, I understand it’s important to maintain more professional boundaries, so I don’t kiss my colleagues but I show them LOVE in other ways; asking how they feel, small, thoughtful gifts when it’s appropriate, etc. Yes, it’s a different kind of LOVE, but I spend so much time with these people and I want them to know that I LOVE spending time with them and that they mean something to me. They’re not just machines doing a job, they’re people. And very special people at that.

Ultimately, I believe that you get what you give. If you are happy and proud to show and tell the people that you LOVE how you feel about them, then they will return that LOVE. It will make you feel happier, freer and will only serve to enhance your relationship. Think about it. Then go and tell somebody that you LOVE them.