When it comes to love, nothing is certain. There are no set rules for anything and things are always changing. Relationships develop at their own pace and there is no plan or timeline in place to follow.
Saying "I love you" is a major milestone in any new relationship. But how do you know when the time is right? How do you know if you are saying it too early? How do you know if you are ready to say it?
I was in an almost two-year relationship where we never said "I love you." Literally, never. Hence the breakup. I’ve also been told "I love you" in the first three weeks of dating. And while it did seem a little quick, I married the guy, so it must not have scared me too much.
But how do you know when the time is right? Because, after all, if you’re spending all of your time with someone, there are probably lots of things you love already.
You love to spend your time doing things with them, sharing your thoughts, having fun, and laughing. It’s true, we can love these things right away. So, how do we tell the difference between things we love doing with someone or if we actually love the person?
Here are four ways to tell if you love someone:
If you think about it all the time
If you are constantly thinking about how much you love a person, then the timing is right. If you can’t stop thinking about how much you love them and are so happy to love them, then it’s because you do love them!
If you want to say it all the time
When your person does something nice for you, or acts cute, do you want to say "I love you?" Maybe they cuddled extra close this morning or they brought you a cup of java in the early hours, and it made you swoon? Yup, you’re a goner. You’re in love.
If you want them to say it to you
Chances are if you are thinking it and you are wanting to say it, you want them to say it, too. And if that doesn’t scare you, you’re ready.
If you want to love them
What I mean is, you have to actually make the decision to love someone. And if you’re in a place in your life where you want to be in a serious relationship and you really love another person, then this is probably the right time. Because in my opinion, you cannot choose who you love. But you can decide if you want to give your love to someone else or not.
There really is no right or wrong time to say "I love you." But if you’re in a relationship that makes you laugh and smile and you want to spend more days like those and with that person, you should say "I love you."
If you feel it, find a way to say it. You will feel better truly expressing your feelings and you will find out if they love you or not, one way or another.
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