Like many things worth having in life, love is always risky because you never know how it will turn out in the end.

When you are single for a long time it is normal for two things to happen: 1) to feel like you won’t ever find true love and 2) to have a naive perception of love and all that it entails.

For a lot of us, once you fall in deeply, you feel like it will always be picture perfect and will be the snapshot of what so many of us post on our Instagram pages.

You think it will always be romance, long hugs, passionate kisses, gifts and never-ending reminders of why we love the person we are with and vice-versa.

But then, in the middle of love, we are hit with the reality of life and while it is amazing that we have found someone to share it with, sometimes it is not always so perfect.

Arguments happen over petty things.

We may get sick with depression, anxiety, chronic illnesses, or disorders that our partners may have not known about prior to being with us and we then begin to see love not only in a romantic sense but love in the midst of reality.

So, sometimes you may wish you were single again and he may drift from you just to give himself some space.

You may yell at him and say, “Leave!” or, “Just find someone else who you can deal with.”

But, if you have someone who truly loves you for who you are in this life, even if you get sick, have a bad attitude, throw a fit sometimes, get jealous or have traits that take a toll on your relationship, a man that is truly meant to be with you will always stay.

Because true love never quits when the going gets tough, it gets stronger through the challenges.

So if you are in love today or are looking for a love that will stay with you through it all in this life, make sure you look for a guy just like this:

Stay with the guy who will call you at 3 am after a fight just to make sure you sleep okay so you can get up for work in the morning.

Stay with the guy who won’t just leave you because you have been diagnosed with anxiety, an eating disorder, or depression, but will educate himself on it and do what he can to love you through it.

Stay with the guy who sees you naked and loves you through all your perceived flaws.

Stay with the guy who isn’t just interested in what you can do for him sexually, but will always make sure you are ready for anything mentally before it becomes physical.

Stay with the guy who never questions why you are the way that you are, but reminds you that you are uniquely beautiful in every way.

Stay with the guy who loves you enough to show you a side of yourself that you have never known, a guy who will allow you to grow from struggles and have patience in all things.

Because true love isn’t perfection, it is about growth. And the guy worth staying with will always remind you in the end why you two are meant for one another.

Life is short and you deserve nothing less than a love that is blissful but also authentic.

So, don’t settle for less and don’t beat yourself up for not knowing that a love like this even existed. Just know that it does and you should always be ready for it. 

If you do just one thing today, just remember, to stay with a guy just like this.