We are taught at a young age, that love is supposed to be something that will save us. We are shown that love, is the one thing that can turn our world around immediately.

So, we run the second love stops being easy. We leave the second it becomes troublesome. We think, love isn’t supposed to be this hard. Love isn’t supposed to be this difficult.

But love in fact, is the hardest thing in the world.

Love isn’t all butterflies and magic. It’s compromise, it’s arguments, full of ugly words and whispers. Love isn’t this huge beam of light that shines down on a couple for eternity. It is complicated and messy and it takes a huge amount of work.

Love isn’t going to erase your insecurities. Love isn’t going to take away your depression or anxiety. Love isn’t going to erase your sadness or your problems with work and money and other relationships. We would like to believe it has the power to do this. We would love to believe it. But, it’s not the real and honest truth.

Love is something. But love is not everything.

If you start to see darkness overshadowing the light in your relationship, try not to panic. Don’t run right away. Don’t throw in the cards and give up. Ride the wave. Argue, scream and fight through it. Swim in it, no matter how strong the current gets. Only then is it going to be worth saving. Because, you have to go through the bad stuff and the hard stuff, to get to the good parts.

Love isn’t linear. It’s not something that will always grow upwards. 

You have got to get to the difficult conversations. The ones that make you cry and hurt. The ones that make your partner hurt. You’ve got to see them for who they are truly are, flaws and all. And they have got to know the dark parts of you. The ones you never wanted them to see. You have got to have those heartbreaking arguments and go through hell and back.

Only then, will you be able to see if it is the kind of love that is true. Only then, will you be able to see if it is the kind of love that you want to keep. Only then, will you be able to see if this is the kind of love that you don’t want to ever give up on.

Love is a battlefield. It’s not supposed to always be heavenly. You’ve got to work for it. You’ve got to fight like hell for it.

Only then, will you know that yes, love is worth it. It’s worth all the hardships and the sacrifices. Love isn’t magic. But when you get it right and when you work hard enough on it, it’s pretty close to it.