love thursday: 24 simple ways to show love in the next 24 hours

1.  Buy coffee for the guy standing behind you at the coffee shop.

2.  Open the door for someone before entering yourself.  It doesn't matter if you're a girl and he's a boy, or you're a boy and she's a girl, or you're both boys, or you're both girls.  You can do it.

3.  Send a quick email to someone you haven't heard from in a while.  It can just say, "Hey, I was thinking about you.  I hope you're well."  Trust me, it will make her day.

4.  Send a small, handwritten note -- via regular mail! -- to someone far away.  It can just say, "Hey, I was thinking about you.  I hope you're well."  Trust me, it will make his day.

5.  Give someone flowers, just because.  They don't have to be expensive.  The blossom above was part of a grocery-store bouquet that cost $3.99.  The recipient really isn't going to care that it wasn't expensive.  I promise.

6.  Invite someone to your home.  Have something baking in the oven for them when they arrive.

7.  Light a candle and think of someone who is going through a rough time.  Silently offer them good thoughts/prayers.

8.  Pick a charity.  Give something.

9.  Buy a magazine subscription for a friend out of the blue. 

10.  Give blood.

11.  Prepare someone's tea.  In my opinion, it's a wonderful act of love to not just put the hot water and a teabag in front of a friend, but actually prepare and steep the tea for them. 

12.  Tell a child -- or someone who is struggling with self-esteem -- how great you think they are.  And mean it.

13.  The next person who serves you a meal at a restaurant, or helps you in a store, or sells you your morning newspaper, look him in the eyes, smile, and say "thank you" with as much sincerity as you can muster.

14.  Give someone a heartfelt hug.  Just because.

15.  Start a hopeful revolution:  leave a hope note somewhere.  Extra points if you leave it on the windshield of a stranger's car.

16.  Offer to cook a meal for someone.

17.  Offer to give someone a break -- babysit, hire a maid service for them, or even straighten her house yourself.

18.  Clean out your closet.  Give the gently-used clothing you no longer want to a shelter.

19.  Take a photograph of something beautiful.  Send it to someone, with the note:  "This reminded me of you."

20.  Give someone something of yours -- a book, perhaps, or a small trinket -- with no expectation of return.

21.  Blow out a candle.  Make a wish on someone else's behalf as you do it.

22.  Make a short list of the things you love about someone you love.  Leave the list where they can find it.

23.  Make a date to have coffee or a glass of wine with an old friend.

24.  Say "I love you."  Mean it.

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Happy Love Thursday, everyone.  Please feel free to leave your stories or links to your words or images of love in the comments, below.

And even though, admittedly, doing all 24 might be hard to do in the next day or so, still:  show some love today.

Song:  Show love by Mary J. Blige 

 Image of safflower blossom photographed with Nikon D300, 60mm micro lens.