Love.

LOVE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. IN FACT, IF IT’S THE REAL DEAL, IT IS USUALLY NEVER EASY. THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE COMPICATIONS, ARGUMENTS, AND TEARS. YOU ARE ALWAYS GOING TO GET HURT BECAUSE BY CHOSING TO LOVE SOMEONE, YOU ARE PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE WHICH MAKES YOU VULNERABLE. THAT VULNERABILITY THAT WE FEEL MAKES EVERYTHING REAL. BY NOT KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT THE PERSON IS GOING TO RETURN THE FEELINGS YOU FEEL IS NERVE-RACKING IN ITSELF. BUT ONCE YOU FIND OUT THAT YOUR SPECIAL PERSON FEELS THE SAME WAY, IT IS THE BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. YOU KNOW THERE IS GOING TO BE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT AS LONG AS YOU BOTH FEEL THE WAY YOU FEEL, AT THE END OF THE DAY IT DOES NOT MATTER. SOMETIMES THE PERSON YOU LOVE IS WITH SOMEONE ELSE. ALTHOUGH YOU FEEL BROKEN, DESTROYED, HURT, AND BETRAYED, IF YOU TRULY KNOW THE PERSON LOVES YOU BACK, YOU SHOULD KNOW EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. THINGS WILL WORK THEMSELVES OUT AS LONG AS YOU ARE PATIENT AND WILLING. IF YOU STAY TRUE TO THEM UNTIL THE END, IT WILL BE WORTH YOUR WHILE. IF YOU SINCERELY LOVE SOMEONE, YOU WILL WAIT NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES. EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO THAT VULNERABILITY YOU FELT THE FIRST TIME YOU TOLD THEM HOW YOU REALLY FEEL. THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO SO MANY PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS. OUR WORLD IS NOT PERFECT AND NEITHER ARE THE PEOPLE IN IT. NO ONE EVER SAID A RELATIONSHIP WAS EASY; IT NEVER IS. YOU, YOURSELF, HAVE TO REALIZE WHO IS GOING TO BE WORTH THE PAIN YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL. YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF, “DO I REALLY LOVE HER/HIM?” “IS HE/SHE REALLY WORTH ALL THIS?” IF YOU FIND YOURSELF UNSURE, THINK BACK TO ALL THE MEMORIES YOU AND THIS PERSON HAVE. SURE, SOME MAY BE BAD, BUT I GUARENTEE MOST OF THEM ARE HAPPY ONES. WHEN YOU ARE WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE, NO WORDS ARE NEEDED FOR A GOOD TIME. YOU CAN SIMPLY SIT IN THEIR PRESENCE AND BE CONTENT. YOU CAN SIMPLY LOOK IN THEIR EYES, AND KNOW THEY LOVE YOU. YOU CAN SIMPLY LOOK AT THEIR SMILING LIPS AND SMILE BACK. YOU CAN BRUSH YOUR FINGERS ALONG THEIR BACK AND GET THAT SAME JOLT OF EXCITEMENT AND ANXIETY THAT MANY CALL “THE BUTTERFLIES”. YOU CAN EMBRACE THEM IN A HUG AND THINK TO YOURSELF, “I NEVER WANT TO LET THEM GO.” ALL OF THOSE SMALL AND SIMPLE THINGS MEAN ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY: THIS PERSON IS WORTH IT. WHEN THEY ARE SAD, YOU ARE SAD. WHEN THEY GET ANGRY, YOU GET ANGRY. THE TEST OF LOVE IS NOT WHO KISSES WHO FIRST OR WHO MAKES THE FIRST MOVE. THE TEST OF LOVE IS BEING ABLE TO STAY FRIENDS THROUGH ALL THE TOUGH TIMES YOU BOTH WILL ENDURE. THE TEST IS WHO WILL STAY TRUE TO THE OTHER. THE TEST IS, WHO CAN BE THERE FOR THE OTHER WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING OKAY. THE TEST IS BEING ABLE TO STAY FRIENDS, EVEN IF THE OTHER IS DOING SOMETHING YOU DO NOT APPROVE OF. WHETHER THAT BE BEFRIENDING THE WRONG PERSON, DATING SOMEONE ELSE, OR SIMPLY MESSING UP. LOVE IS A FRUSTRATING GAME. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO ALONG THE BOARD, JUST LIKE A PUZZLE PIECE, ROLLING THE DICE AND NOT KNOWING WHERE YOU WILL LAND. YOU WILL LAND ON SPACES YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH. YOU WILL LAND ON SPACES THAT MAY SAY “GO BACK AND START OVER” OR “YOU HAVE JUST GONE BANKRUPT”. BUT IF YOU PLAY THE GAME WITH A FRIEND FIRST, YOU ARE GUARENTEED SUCCESS. THE BEST RELATIONSHIPS START FROM FRIENDSHIPS. IF YOU PASS ALL THESE TESTS AND PASS THE COMPLICATED SPACES, EVENTUALLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PASS GO AND COLLECT THAT TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. AND THE BEST PART OF BEATING THE GAME IS KNOWING THAT THERE ARE NO MORE SURPRISES. ALL THAT IS LEFT IS YOU AND THAT SPECIAL PERSON. NONE OF THIS IS EASY. YOU ARE GOING TO GET HURT MULTIPLE TIMES. YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL THINGS YOU DO NOT WANT TO FEEL. SOMETIMES YOU ARE GOING TO THINK; “I JUST NEED TO GET OVER HIM/HER.” OR “HE/SHE JUST IS NOT WORTH THIS.” BUT DEEP DOWN, YOU KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE. IF YOU SHOW THAT PERSON THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO BE PATIENT AND WAIT FOR THEM, IT WILL ALL PAY OFF IN THE END. SURE, ALL OF THESE OBSTACLES MAY MAKE IT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE; BUT IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. LOVE CONQUERS ALL AND IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TRY AND GO ABOUT THIS IN A DETERMINED AND PATIENT WAY, LOVE WILL CONQUER THESE OBSTACLES AND YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER WILL FIND THEIR WAY RIGHT BACK INTO YOUR ARMS. THE CHOICE IS YOURS, JUST MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT REGRET IT. NINE CHANCES OUT OF TEN, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT FOR THIS PERSON, IT MEANS THEY REALLY ARE WORTH IT. <3