I promise to say "I love you"

Occasionally when I talk to your mom-mom (my mother), she forgets to say "I love you" when getting off the phone.  I always catch it and typically will remind her after she says "bye" that I love her.  She will reply back with an "I love you", and we get off the phone.

But every so often, I don't get the sentiment back. 

This evening I spoke with my mother on my way home from work, and this is how our conversation went:

Mom: "alright well I'll talk to you later."

Me: "sounds good.  I love you."

Mom: "bye"

Me: ".... Bye"

Mom: "bye"

(Yes she said 'bye' twice - she always has to have the last word. But that's a whole other diatribe.)

I try to give her the benefit of the doubt- she was watching you at the time so was probably preoccupied.  But it still bothers me.  What if that was the last time we ever spoke? I wouldn't have been reminded "I love you" that one last time.  Or reverse, she wouldn't have had the chance to tell her only child that she loves them.  I know the phrase's absence isn't intentional, but it still bothers me.

So I want to promise you that never in our lives together on earth, will you go a day without me telling you that I love you.   I've loved you since seeing seeing a little stick tell me that you existed, and I always will.

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”

Robert Munsch