Not the Kind of "Thank You" That You Want to Hear...

I didn’t know if the time was right but I said it anyway, “I love you. Without looking at me, she responded flatly with, “Thank you.” In my head, I thought to myself how lame of a response that really was. When you say, "I love you," to someone and they respond with, "Thank you," it feels as if they received the drop of your love in a bucket. An endless bucket that goes on into some abyss. If there is no "I love you, too," then it just feels void of any relational depth or connection. It's empty. Hollow. Sad. It feels almost like a waste altogether but then maybe there is still some value or intrinsic merit? It's like the tossing and turning during sleepless nights but instead you're wide awake, sitting very still awkwardly and not actually attempting to sleep at all.