It may seem like a bold, if not misguided statement, to say I love you--the one reading this article. While it may seem that way, the explanation and reason is simple.

First, a little background. There are actually three ways of saying "love" in the original Greek. First, is eros, which is the root of erotic. We are familiar with that. The second is phileos, which is brotherly love. That is why the city of Philadelphia is known as the "City of Brotherly Love".

The third is agape love. Agape simply means "without condition". For someone to say they have agape love for someone, they are simply saying that they accept the other person just as they are without any conditions or strings. Many religions aspire to this, even if many of their practitioners fall short of the ideal.

In my belief system, I believe that we are all equally blessed to be living and evolving on our soul's journey to our full potential. While we are down here living and learning, we have so much that we can be learning from each other. Everyone from the poorest beggar to the mightiest king can learn from each other. We all have value.

The saddest thing a person can do to another person is withhold love. In fact, there was a book written back in the 1970's about people who were clinically dead and who headed into the light, only to be brought back to life. The people who had Near Death Experiences (NDE's) were interviewed and many said that their life was reviewed and they were shown each instance where they withheld love from another person.

There probably isn't a protocol for doing saying it, at least not at this stage of our planet's existence, so I will just say that I love you--the person reading this article--unconditionally just as you are and value you as an individual who chose to be born during this time to further your soul's evolution.

Maybe this is why I believe Christmas--or at least its true meaning--should be celebrated all year long. The belief that we care about each other shouldn't be limited to one cold day in December. We should acknowledge that other people are important and never miss an opportunity to express how we truly feel.