I've had my share of broken bones, and I've lost family members. I've been so beaten down I just couldn't get back up, and I've been in some of the darkest places people have ever seen.
But never before have I cried like I did after the Oct. 5 episode of Glee.
I've had my share of arguments with my parents, and coming out over the past year hasn't been an easy time for any of us. But through every argument, and every less-than-sensitive comment that has been made, our love for each other has remained strong.
My parents have been there for me, through every high and every low. Even when what was hurting me was tearing them to pieces, they put on a brave and kept my life going. No matter what it cost them, they were there for me.
And honestly, I haven't always been the greatest son in return. I've shut them out on occasion, I've complained about them to friends and I've said those three little words far too few times.
But as I watched Kurt face the possibility of losing his father, I started to think about how I would feel if something like that happened to one of my parents, or if it happened to me before I could express to them the way I felt.
Thinking about losing the ones you love is an eerie thing: think about a place in your life where you won't ever feel your mother tousle your hair while you finish that last college application essay, or have your father slap you on the back for a job well done replacing the brakes on your truck, which probably won't last the winter anyway. It's strange to think that you won't ever see their smiles again, or hear their voices telling you it's going to be ok.
Just thinking about losing my parents, or anyone who has meant anything in my life for that matter, is simply too much for me to take. When you truly love someone, the idea of losing him or her is almost worse than the idea of dying yourself.
We all have people in our lives we love and care about deeply. For many it is our parents, for others, it is our grandparents, or our best friend, or our boyfriend or girlfriend. No matter what part they play, there is at least one person in everyone's life that will always mean the world. There is at least one person we can always talk to, or that we can just be ourselves with, or even just go to when we need a hug.
No matter who those people are in your life, they deserve to be told that you love them. You never know when your last chance to do so will be.
Life comes at you fast sometimes, and you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. The only time you know you're going to have the ones you love in your life is right now, so why would you want to waste a second not telling them how you feel?
So put down this paper, or close out your browser window, and give your parents a call. Walk over to your best friend's dorm room, or drive to your significant other's house. It may only be three simple words, but when you mean them, there isn't a more powerful sentiment on earth.
E-mail: clinton.hodnett@ubspectrum.com
