Whether you’re the pursuer or the pursued at the moment, the other person needs to clearly know how you feel—or else he or she will make other plans and move on to someone else.
“I have fallen in love with you,” is the basic message, but you should say it in the most sincere and passionate way possible. If you’re the creative kind, be creative in the way you say it!
Carl and Maria’s Story
When Carl wanted to finally tell Maria that he had fallen in love with her, he decided to tell her in song.
To do this, he dragged his best friend Jacky, who was a guitarist in a rock band, to come with him one night to Maria’s doorstep. For extra backup, he also brought his other good friends, Warner, Debbie and Tyrone—none of whom could carry a tune.
The plan was for Carl to ring Maria’s doorbell and, when she came to the door, he’d start singing “Maria” from West Side Story.
“Sing with me,” he begged Warner, Debbie and Tyrone, who were already holding lyric sheets and fidgeting.
“Your funeral, man,” Jacky snorted, laughing.
When Maria did come to the door, Carl handed her a long- stemmed red rose and began to sing.
“Maria…I’ve just had a girl named Maria,” he gasped. “Wrong key,” Jacky muttered, shaking his head. “Wrong
Words—“
“And suddenly I found how wonderful a sound can beeeeeeeee,” Carl wailed, not hearing. Jacky had to scramble to find the new chords on the guitar as he went along.
When he hit the chorus, Carl’s other three friends began singing too, to mournful results. An elderly man with a cane passed them by on the sidewalk where they stood, and he muttered, “Shut up, I ain’t dead yet.”
“OK, OK!” Carl cried. Turning to Maria, he got down on one knee and said, “I’m in love with the most beautiful girl. Will you go out with me again next Saturday, and the Saturday after that, and the days after that—“
“YES, CARL, Yes!” Maria interrupted. She couldn’t stop laughing. “I’m in love with you, too. If only to stop you from singing, honey.” And she gave him a sweet kiss.
Support—don’t crowd—the person.
Lovingly give your beloved the kind of support he or she needs and deserves in his or her endeavors.
Listen and observe him or her completely, with as much energy and attention as you would devote to talking about yourself to him or her.