With Love...

How do you sign your e-mails to folk? I have a fairly well-worn routine. When I first start communicating with someone they end with Regards, then maybe All the Best, Kind Regards and then become Best wishes and often that is where they stick. At a push they may then develop to getting the occasional 'Luv' which is a cop out. It's not exactly 'Love' but it's better than Best Wishes...

If someone is a friend they get 'Love'. Some people then get something weird like 'Love in kettles', 'Love in tea-pots' or whatever happens to be the topic of the day – or even something totally unrelated to anything like 'Love in space shuttles'.) A couple of folk, mainly family, get 'Lots of Love'. Partner-who-drinks-tea not only gets Lots of Love but also xxx. It has to be at least three xxx's following a conversation she had with someone where the woman in question mentioned her husband having received a text with xxx from a girl. “It was a three x' message”, she said, as if that explained in detail how intimate the text had been. (And yes, I do e-mail Partner-who-drinks-tea sometimes. It may be the only way to communicate when she's working long hours or I want to send her a link that's not urgent.)

There are some people I know in 'real life' that I e-mail and they get 'Love' just as they would get a kiss or a firm handshake is they turned up at the door. But what about people one has met through blogs?

The big decision is when does someone graduate to receiving 'Love' because one has to be aware not only of whether one means it but also how they will feel getting it. Is there any point in sending them it if you don't really know them or don't especially feel love towards them. But also you have to think about their reaction. There are so many weirdoes out there that one worries about being classified with them if one graduates to 'Love' too early. Who is this 62 year old bearded fellow who thinks he can 'Love' me?

Having taken the momentous step with a new friend – yes, she's definitely a friend already, we didn't bother with the acquaintance stage – I got this reply:-

“YAY!  We've graduated to LOVE!  That's always a good sign.  I agree, all the "regards" and such are just a sort of cautionistic essay forth, in case the other person turns out to be a complete turd.  But really, I think love is the right word.  The Beatles said it, and they were right. “

Says it all really.

So Kind Regards / Best wishes / Love / Lots of Love (delete as appropriate) to you all.