Honestly I do understand, I was in my late 20’s the first time I ever said to or heard “I love you” from my father (my mother was a drunk so every night it was screaming about how selfish and ungrateful I was and then every morning it was teary eyed saccharine hungover I love you’s- so not much healthy modeling there either)
It’s a thing that needs practice if you’re not in the habit of it, if I think back, I probably started with like that cheeky kind of “I fucking love you, you stupid fuck, thanks for calling me”,
Also, playing around with the structure of it so that it’s not the quintessential “I Love You” can help make it feel less big and scary, like “Love you” , “Much Love”, “Love ya”
Or with my brother (which has actually been the hardest) and also with some friends (I’m thinking of one with a partner) I usually will add a title onto it? so that it contextual and modifies the expression of love-
“I Love you brother”
“I Love you friend”
So, I don’t think that your difficulty expressing it now, defines a future where you cannot express it in a way that fulfills you, keep in mind in like 1.5-2x as old as most people here, so I’ve had a lot of extra time to practice!!
You can practice as well, you seem a self reflective young woman, and you have the desire, and I believe in you! 🫶🏻
I would cringe so hard if I really tried to say I love you to someone icl :<
I’m really affection starved…
Honestly I do understand, I was in my late 20’s the first time I ever said to or heard “I love you” from my father (my mother was a drunk so every night it was screaming about how selfish and ungrateful I was and then every morning it was teary eyed saccharine hungover I love you’s- so not much healthy modeling there either)
It’s a thing that needs practice if you’re not in the habit of it, if I think back, I probably started with like that cheeky kind of “I fucking love you, you stupid fuck, thanks for calling me”, Also, playing around with the structure of it so that it’s not the quintessential “I Love You” can help make it feel less big and scary, like “Love you” , “Much Love”, “Love ya”
Or with my brother (which has actually been the hardest) and also with some friends (I’m thinking of one with a partner) I usually will add a title onto it? so that it contextual and modifies the expression of love-
“I Love you brother” “I Love you friend”
So, I don’t think that your difficulty expressing it now, defines a future where you cannot express it in a way that fulfills you, keep in mind in like 1.5-2x as old as most people here, so I’ve had a lot of extra time to practice!!
You can practice as well, you seem a self reflective young woman, and you have the desire, and I believe in you! 🫶🏻