Pondering the words "I Love You."

Okay, say you think you have found the right woman (or man, whatever).
The trouble is, in this modern Internet age, the right woman might live far away and you've yet to meet in the flesh.
Yet...you talk every day, write letters, have fights, settle them, exchange intimacies, share personal details, triumphs, failures, the works. It all feels good and it all seems to work well. It starts to feel like love.
So when, pray tell, does one know when attraction and infatuation have transcended into love? When is the right time to say the words?
Zed and I had been discussing it all day, and tonight I just hauled off and told her I was falling in love with her.
It felt like a boulder came off my chest because the feelings were getting so strong I was running out of euphemisms to express the way I felt. She responded perfectly and as usual, made me feel safe and secure in saying what I felt.
A friend and I were talking recently about the wisdom in saying I love you, because one never knows when they'll be hit by a truck or just keel over without warning.
It's risky to say the words to a new lover because often the words are accompanied by increased expectations and other assorted pains in the ass.
But sometimes a woman just has to say it and be willing to accept whatever reaction she gets. When you've made the right decision, the reaction will be a good one.
Nothing on Earth feels better than falling in love, and when you've chosen the right person, you'll know it the minute those words leave your mouth.