I don’t know a lot about life or lasting, romantic love. I always think I do. The 20-something bravado that makes so many of us puff out our chests, make bold proclamations with a sort of naive certainty.

“This is what you deserve! Don’t settle for less! Wait until the perfect person comes sweeping you off your feet!”

I’m not an expert in matters of the heart, even if sometimes I like to pretend I am. I’ve fallen down enough times to know it’s okay to admit none of us really know what we’re doing.

We love. We trust. We hurt. We fail. We try again.

And so it goes.

But I do know the brevity of life, and how unpredictable the twists and turns can be. So why waste time being with someone who doesn’t make you laugh?

Be with someone who, even on the worst days, does something weird or silly that inevitably cracks a smile on your face. The kind of person who will embarrass themselves just because they know it will make you explode in laughter.

Be with someone who understands your sense of humor, including your terrible jokes and quirky behavior. Find someone who gets you, like REALLY gets you. You never have to explain why you’re being a weirdo because they’re most likely being a weirdo with you.

Be wit someone who loves how you sound when you giggle, someone who appreciates the way your wrinkle your nose when you chuckle. Someone who knows you actually have three different laughs and what each one indicates.

Be with someone who, even in the darkest moments, finds a light with you. And you make jokes. And you laugh until your abs are sore. And everything feels a little more doable because you’ve got each other.