But why?

I like to ask why. I guess I never got over that 3 year old stage of—but why, but why, but why, but why??

 
I particularly like to ask why when my boyfriend says, I love you.
 
It’s something we throw out every day. Before we leave, we tell our boyfriend/girlfriend , husband/wife, mom/dad, sister/brother, I love you. We end our phone conversation with, I love you—or some shortened version along the lines of, “love ya!” or “love you!” We go to bed and say I love you before we doze against our pillow.
  
But do we know why we say it, or has it just become the norm—another custom like washing our hands or brushing our teeth?

I ask my boyfriend why on a regular basis. In the beginning, the conversation went something like this:

     “I love you.”

     “Why?”

     “Because you’re not like anyone else.”

     “But why?”
 
     “Because you’re smart, beautiful, and funny.”

I told him this wasn’t an acceptable answer. Everyone can be smart, beautiful, and funny. It’s too generic. I wanted to know what made me stand out from the rest. What was it that I did or said that made me different—loveable.

  
 After several instances of, “try again”, it started to get better. It now goes something like this:

     “I love you.”

     “Why?”

     “Because you’re not like anyone else.”

     “But why?”

     “Because you make me happier than anyone else can.”

     “Why?”

     “Because you’re you.”

     “But why?”

Answers Vary:

      “Because you think I look like Ryan Gosling.  Because you’re adorable when you make your angry face. Because I see the future when I look into your eyes. Because you make me feel like I’m most important person in the world ever.”

I love you is a powerful 8 letter phrase. It makes a friendship. It makes a bond. It makes a home. It makes a life. It changes our lives. So, why not remind those who love us how we got there every once in a while?

I love you is a powerful 8 letter phrase. It’s easy to say. It’s not easy to explain. But it’s worth a shot. You might like what you hear.

Next time someone special says I love you—ask, why?