Love Ya!

It's hard to know when "love ya" as a casual closure to a conversation crept into common usage. It seems to me that it became much more prevalent during the days of COVID lockdown and our ubiquitous virtual communication via FaceTime. The meaning of this phrase has strayed far from its origins ("I love you") and has become a bit of a meaningless sign off, much like its cousin the casual greeting "how ya doin?" Just as this has become a stand-in for hello, with no intent to really hear about how someone is doing, so has "love ya" been reduced to nothing more than a kindhearted goodbye.

It is, however, strangely intimate when one thinks about it. Perhaps to reduce this intimacy often, particularly when two male friends are conversing, a hearty "bro" is added at the end as in "love ya bro” toning down the implications of actually expressing love to a friend.

I am of two minds when it comes to the "love ya" craze. I do like the fact that there is a lot more love being expressed, as watered-down as it has become. However, it is that very dilution and casualness with which the phrase is thrown about which has me concerned. This craze has its hazards. The other day I caught myself just in time as I almost said goodbye in this manner to the dental receptionist after booking an appointment.

I wonder what it would be like, the next time I'm signing off a FaceTime call with my daughter, to look her directly in the virtual eye, then pause, place my hand over my heart, and say "I love you, Anne-Marie." My guess is that this would be a far cry from, and convey much more feeling and relational intimacy, than the casual "love ya" sign off.