Man, if you can’t tell your friends you love them, they may not be friends in the first place.

Yeah, there’s plenty of exceptions, some folks can’t handle some words, others may have difficulty with expressions of affection, etc. But, at the core of things, friendship is platonic love. It’s a deep, pervasive emotion that’s vital to the human condition.

Think about it. Think about what friendship is supposed to be, what it’s supposed to mean. We have terms in slang that cover it; brother from another mother/sister from another mister. Your ride-or-die. If the people you’re thinking of as friends aren’t someone you love, and that love you, they aren’t friends, they’re pleasant acquaintances.

Nothing wrong with having people in your life that are casual and focused on having good times together that end when everyone goes home. Friendly acquaintances, work buddies, hobby homies, they’re good things the have in your life. But that’s affection, not love, and the difference in feeling matters.

If you can’t express that feeling (again, barring the individual having issues), the chances are that someone involved isn’t truly a friend.