[Terra]

I always tell somebody that I'm interested in deepening things with them, if I feel that way. I've never experienced the awkwardness that can sometimes come from being that up front with anybody. Sometimes things can deepen and sometimes not and we just end up being really good buddies. That's okay too, as far as I'm concerned. There are times that the more I know them the more my feelings are not as deep and I let them know about this too. The same goes for them and I expect this. The point is that I try not to lay awake and obsess over whether to tell them or not.

When it comes to a gift exchange, I don't allow my feelings to interfere with the gift because then it becomes weighted with a double meaning, with the strings tied to it. That clouds the issue and sometimes could place a price on the gift. If the gift is freely given for no other reason than the occasion (birthday, some sort of anniversary or whatever) then I feel that is the best.

The feelings need to be discussed at a later time.