"Love isn't love until you give it away" Being loved and valued as a person is fundamental to everyone's personal growth and development. It is the basis of our own self-esteem, feelings of self-confidence and belief in the security our world offers us.

Feeling loved does make a difference. Some people have been brought up to feel they should hold back on loving words and actions. Others hold back because they've never practised overt expressions of love, which now make they feel uncomfortable. Still others hold back, out of forgetfulness. We're too busy, too preoccupied or not around at the right time.

We may say "I love you" to the ones we love but often, after time, the words become mechanical, as automatically given and received and "please" and "thank you". We may feel we express our love through our caretaking chores, financial support, and companionship. Oh yes, we may show it in an occasional surge of spontaneous affection, in shared laughter, in tender moments, in hugs and kisses, but it's the little things we do for each other that shows our constant love. The actions, the surprises, regardless of how we express it, love isn't love until we give it away.