This Is What Love Truly Is

Love is never about the other person, it eventually is all about you. Every day we compromise a little in life, taking a job just because it comes with a hefty pay check, postponing our travel dreams because the time is not right, deciding to skip the late night movie because of an early meeting the next morning.

The list goes on, but let me tell you, love should never be on this list! You get to live once, and in this life you deserve to experience the magnitude of love. Love should be anything but mediocre.

As John Mayer rightly said, “Love is a verb, it ain’t thing.” It’s not something you measure in the number of gifts, it’s not something directly proportional to Facebook acknowledgment of your relationship. It’s not the size of the diamond on the ring. It’s not a prize for you to flaunt. It’s everything that is in-between. And that is what calls for hard work. Don’t fret over the word, because if love is really there by your side, it never feels like hard work. So, here is what love really is…

Love is….

• That protective arm around the shoulder in a crowded room
• That kiss in the middle of a sentence just because you couldn’t resist
• It is the ease of being yourself with no inhibition of being judged
• The desire to be your best self for the one person, who already sees the best in you
• The phone call in the middle of a busy day just to say, “hey, how’s it going?”
• The desire to share your happiness and sadness with that one person
• The feeling of wanting to be there for that one person who will keep you ahead of everything
• Discovering each other’s little quirks and knowing we are just human
• Not having an answer to problems but just holding hands knowing together you’ll see it through
• Sitting through a boring match and smiling at his excitement when all you want to do is sleep
• OR sitting through a rom-com smiling at her gushing over the mush when all you want to do is sleep
• Both of you walking that extra mile to meet at the center
• Not about how similar you are, but how your differences compliment each other
• Not about where you both came from, but where you both want to head together in the future
• The comfort with which you can share your silence
• A hug at the end of a long and tiring day
• The strength to face the world with that one person by your side
• An unconditional feeling where you want only the best for the other
• Finally finding that someone who feels like home

Here’s the thing, falling in love is easy. You’ll say, do and act in the right way. But eventually when the gush settles down, that’s when your journey starts. And the only things that gets you through is the little things. Ten years down the road, your love story isn’t about the grand proposal, it should be about how this person never once failed to make you smile in all those 3650 days. And how you still want to wake up to that person each day for the rest of your life.

So, whichever phase of love you are in-looking for love, getting over love, terrified of love, just remember never settle when it comes to love. The strength you find in love can really move mountains.

And if you ever feel that unconditional love for someone, where you expect nothing but the best for that person, even if more a moment, know life has smiled on you.