¶ … loved one you love them every time before they go to bed or before you leave them, because you never know if it will be the last time you see them alive. Includes standard thesis statement, three-point body, and conclusion. Five sources are used. Cited bibliography. Three Little Words

Johnny is late for school again. He's always late, and you're exasperated and even angry. He's still looking for his homework while his ride is honking outside the house. 'Hurry up' you say. 'What am I going to do with you? You're always late.' You're still scolding him as he runs down the sidewalk. Johnny may have forgotten his homework, but you forgot something much more important. While you're rushing to get ready for work, still putout that he's made you late, you get a call. The call. There's been an accident. No survivors. 'I love you.' Three little words. They are the most powerful words in any language. How many of you have ever thought about the importance of these three syllables, the power of these eight letters? When we're young and dating, we're all too aware of the power these words can have on a romantic relationship, sometimes tossing them out too frequently or too reluctantly. but, how many of us truly understand the meaning these simple words have on our day-to-day relationships with our loved ones? Have you ever considered how not saying them to your parents, siblings, children, mates, or friends might effect your life forever? Most of you are probably thinking, 'well, Mom and Dad know I love them' or 'my wife knows I love her'. I don't need to say it all the time, they know. Well, you're right, they probably do know, but saying these words isn't for them as much as it is for you. Whether you're aware of it or not, saying these words nourishes you as much, if not more, than your loved ones. And what if you missed the last opportunity to ever say 'I love you' to someone you care about?

September 11th changed all of us. Although we've endured numerous tragedies during the last few years, such as school shootings and the Oklahoma bombing, watching the events of last September unfold before our eyes on television hit our hearts like never before. We listened to family members of victims as they told their stories of loss. And again and again we heard how their loved ones trapped in the World Trade Towers or on the fatal flights that crashed in Pennsylvania and into the Pentagon had called them on office phones or cell phones to say 'I love you' one last time. And again and again we heard about the comfort it brought to them. We also heard family members say over and over again things such as, ' I'm so grateful that I told him I loved him this morning before he left for work' or 'I'm so glad I gave her a hug this morning'. However, many did not get the chance to say those words that morning. One man expresses the lose of his brother-in-law to cancer recently, "His death was no less shattering to his wife, three young children and his sister than the losses suffered by the families of Sept. 11th's victims. There was, of course, one critical difference: Stanley's loved ones had a chance to say goodbye" (Samuelson, 2001).

A woman who lost her son in a freak accident recalls driving him to school that morning and glancing in the rear view mirror and seeing his smiling face in the back seat. Little did she know that it was the last time, but she had no regrets. She had told him every day of his life how much he was loved (Hannigan 2001).

Most of us will nod and make...

But how many of you will truly follow through. Some of us will put it off until the 'right' moment. And some of us use it as a punishment, withholding those words because of what someone did to us (Gibson 1999). For five years one man and his father had not spoken due to a vicious argument. The man decided one night to go to his father and tell him that he loved him. Two days after his visit, his dad had a heart attack. He feels extremely grateful that he took the initiative to speak those words (http://www.ohills-ag.org/tellluv2.htm).Noone should ever wait to say 'I love you.' Everyone, especially children, need to feel and hear that they are loved. Being loved brings security and happiness and this is essential for healthy emotional growth regardless of the age. Yet, despite all the tons books on the subject of love and being loved, the phrase 'I love you' still seems to be the most underused phrase in any relationship, whether it's a love, friend, or family.
But people get stuck in the routine of life, and tend to forget how important it is to stop for a just a minute and tell your mate or parents or child that you love them. We know we should, but we put it off, there are so many other things to think about in life. So we save those three little words for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. Yet we never know when tragedy might strike, and we'll lose that chance forever. The first thought for most people who experience tragedy and lose someone they love, is that they wish they had told them they loved them more often. So simple, so easy, and it costs nothing (Gibson 1999). We should never need to be afraid to tell someone that we love them (Science Monitor 1998).

There's an old saying, 'never let the sun sit on your anger.' There's a very good reason for that advice. If you go to bed angry, you'll awake the next morning still angry and resolution will only be harder, not to mention that you will have missed out on a kiss goodnight. A goodnight kiss is one of those special things in life that should be part of everyone's nighttime routine. No one is ever too young or too old to be kissed goodnight. We sleep better when someone we love has kissed us goodnight. And we sleep better when we kiss someone we love goodnight. Children, especially feel more secure and sleep better when a parent or guardian has tucked them in bed and kissed them goodnight. And what better way to teach children to be good parents than by being one. The more you tell them you love them, the easier it will be for them to say those three little words without reservations to people they care about.

Tragedy can strike at any time. It doesn't have to be a car wreck or a bombing. It could be a house fire, a burglary, an earthquake, a storm, a gas leak, a stray bullet, a heart attack, or any number of countless tragedies that could make this today be the last day with your loved ones. And what a tragedy indeed, if you simply were too lazy or stubborn to give those you care about a hug and kiss goodbye or goodnight. It would be truly regrettable. Take a few moments and think what it would be like to lose someone you love. What do you want your last words to be to them? What words from you do you want to be echoing in their minds as they take their last breath? Or what if tragedy strikes you, takes your life today? What if you don't make it home tonight? What were the last words you said to your loved ones this morning? How do you want to be…