Risk is a life partner. Make nice.

What's the biggest risk you've ever taken? How did that turn out? Was it all that much of a risk when everything was said and done? Did you know it was a risk or as risky at the time?

Did things feel riskier as kids? Adolescents? Teens? Do we make peace with risk as adults, get better at tolerating it, or do we just take less risks?

What is your current relationship with risk? How much risk do you tolerate day to day?

Risk is a partner in life. Every day we face risk and must decide if we are comfortable or not. At some point, we even become blind to some risks because we are so comfortable with them. Driving a car, for example.

What about those things in life we have grown comfortable not taking risks for?

When was the last time you put everything on the line for a loved one?

If you look up risk, each definition is infused with negative consequences and the possibility of loss, but says nothing of the consequences of avoiding risk. What happens if we stop taking a chance on the loves of our lives? This to me seems a much greater risk.

Why not risk our lives for love everyday? Why not expose ourselves to risk in pursuit of love for the sake of love, in the face of potential embarrassment or disappointment? How bad can it be to reach for the stars as we imagine what we might do today for love, how we might communicate love, demonstrate love, shine the light of love in the grandest and riskiest gesture possible, just for our loved ones, just because we love them?

I'm not talking about jumping from planes or bridges. I'm not talking about dangerous actions that risk loss of life or harm. What I'm talking about is our tolerance for saying what we truly feel. What I’m talking about is risking everything by sharing and communicating how we really feel with our loved ones. How often do we really open up and offer our true selves and sensations to the people in our lives? Sounds rather terrifying, actually. To put ourselves out there without a hint of sarcasm or self-consciousness or irony: sounds rather difficult, sounds very risky.

Words often escape us, no? We don’t always know how to, we can’t always grasp the right word for how we’re feeling. And so, we don’t even try because the only thing worse than sharing our true feelings is having to talk through the yet-to-be-formed emotions. God forbid we say something we don’t exactly feel as we work our way around to how we really feel. I digress.

When presented with a sensation, I would argue that most of us, most often, move on without expressing it. Whether we simply (and incorrectly) believe our loved ones know how we feel and therefore don't want to or need to hear us belabor the point, or believe we will be rejected, or believe we’ve simply done enough to tell our loved ones we love them, we’re wrong on all counts.

To make assumptions in matters of love is too great a risk: don't wait, don't risk them not knowing, do everything, risk everything to make sure they know how you feel. Take every chance you get to share, to surprise them with the amount of love you feel for them. Risk everything for your loved ones, and let them see you risk it all just to be near them, just so you know they know you love them.