What is love? What is true love? What’s the difference? What ‘love’ are we talking about when we ask?

It never ceases to amaze me how we can fall in ‘love’ with whomever we are dating the minute they become ‘ours’. We see us growing old together and being with each other always. Some go to the extreme as much as to smother their mates. We all love and want to be loved in different ways though so who is to say that it really isn’t love? If love to me, is not what love is to you, how can you tell me I’m not in love?

I’ve been in love. I know love. To me. To me, love is everything the sonnets make it out to be and more; I am truly an old fashioned, hopeless romantic, but with a modern appeal. To me, love is being in the same room with that special someone and not having to say anything at all because you are content with just having them there–enjoying them just existing and allowing you to be a part of that. To me, love is kind; it does not ever aim to hurt, and if it should, it’s quick to reconcile. To me, love, true love, is honest; you never have to wait for an apology, because when you love them, you are not scared to be vulnerable because you know they won’t take advantage of it. To me, love makes you want to be a better person just for the one you love; they deserve the best because they are the best, so why not try to give them the best? To me, love is not in spite of anything but because of everything they are.

Is it love if the object of your love is not everything you have always wanted? Does that mean it’s not true love? Is it true love if you have to convince yourself it’s not? And why would you try to do something so absurd? Why would you think that because they are not exactly all you ever wanted, it isn’t true love? Not your soul mate, right? After all, your soul mate would have to at least be on the same wavelength as you on major areas of your life like kids, marriage, and where to live, right? If they aren’t your soul mate, can they still be your love?

What makes you think they aren’t your soul mate? Because they don’t want what you want? But you think you are in love with them; why, if they are not your soul mate? Maybe we can love more than one person. At the same time? Perhaps. Why not? We are not all blessed to have met our ‘soul mates’ at first shot; we move in and out of relationships looking for ‘love’ and a relationship that will stand the hands of time. What if we meet those people at the same time? Is it so far a stretch to be in love with more than one person at the same time when we have been in love with more than one person at different times?

I personally can be in love with many people. I’m a people person. I love people. But when I am truly in love, I feel happy, content, optimistic, sexual, alive, euphoric, and inspired. Every part of my body aches for them, every part of my soul is overjoyed by their spirit, and every part of my mind is stimulated by theirs. I am happy because they are happy, and even when we are not in the best of moods, I can never truly be mad at them. I want for nothing more than to be on their mind.

I have not met someone who has loved or could love me with as much fervor and passion as I have, but I have been an independent since 16; I haven’t had to love a lot of people at the same time so I am able to. But I’m not in love with the idea of love or being in love or love; I’m in love with the person: their mind, body, and soul. It’s not enough for them to be good looking, and not enough to be intelligent, but it’s not even enough for them to be spiritual….when they have it all, how can I not be in love?

I am in love. I always will be. I’m a romantic. Hopeless. And I don’t care. It puts me in the lowest of lows, but gives me the highest of highs; it’s a natural trip that I don’t mind. I can accept the lows if I’m guaranteed those highs. I know I can’t be loved as I want to be loved, but I can love as I want to love until I can love myself enough to let someone else love me.