There was a time when I felt especially sensitive. I could be happy for no clear reason, yet just as quickly feel hurt over something small. Then, before long, my mood would lift again. Even I couldn’t keep up with my own emotions.
One day, after something upsetting had happened at school, we were given a simple task: call our parents and say, “I love you.” I picked up my phone and called my mom. As soon as she answered, I said, “Mom, I love you.”
She sounded a little surprised at first, then replied, “I love you too, Chae-yeong.”
The moment I heard her words, the emotions I had been holding back burst out. I sat there in my seat, crying uncontrollably.
Mom must have been worried about me, because she came to pick me up from school that day. When I got into the car and saw her face, I felt the tears rising again. She wrapped me in a quiet hug, offering comfort without saying a word. After I had calmed down a little, I told her about what had upset me at school. I also admitted that I hadn’t realized how much comfort they would find in simply hearing her say, “I love you.”
She told me, “I’m so glad I got to hear you say ‘I love you.’ Whenever things get tough, don’t hesitate to share everything with me.”
On the way home, I kept turning over the words, “I love you” in my mind. They may be some of the hardest words for a child to say—and at the same time, the words parents most long to hear.
Mom and Dad often tell me they love me, and those words brings me comfort like nothing else. But how often have I said the same to them? I used to think I said it enough. Yet when I compare it to all the love and comfort I’ve received from them, it feels far too little.
From now on, I want to tell my parents I love them more often. I hope that even a few simple words from me can brighten their day and bring them comfort.