Redefining Love

I used to think that love just was--it soaked into your soul like sun permeates your skin when you're not wearing sunscreen.

I'm starting not to feel that way. I think that if you really love someone, there are things you're willing to be, to think, to do.

If you love someone, you're comfortable enough and willing to accept their faults, but you're also willing to accept responsibility for them. You would not turn your back on them, you would not be ashamed of parts of their life, and you would not worry about what other people think of your love. When you're truly in something, you should be able to feel pride and excitement about your love.

If you love someone, you accept and love what they see in you. Your faults are something you wish you could see through their eyes, but there's a willingness on both sides to want to grow--together.

If you love someone, you can be at ease around them. There are time for apologies, but none of those apologies should be for who you are, what you like, or for an opinion. Love isn't really about compromise--it's about acceptance.

I know I'm just starting to work on a new definition of love and I'm happier than I can ever remember being. By learning to accept and laugh at my own shortcomings, I'm better able to love the imperfections and habits of those people I care about.

Love extends. Although when I started writing this a couple months ago, it was about romantic love, I've found over the course of the last two months that the love in friendship and for family is very similar.

I could be annoyed, angry, or saddened by the things that my friends or my family do, or I can accept them for it and move on. I don't want life to be defined by the things that I dislike or disagree with. I want my life to be defined by love--it's incredibly difficult, but I care about the people in my life.

On hard days, I should be able to cry without excuse or feeling like I've ruined something. On fun days, I should be able to laugh out loud at an awkward moment. Never apologize for being yourself and don't expect someone you truly love to apologize either.

Love is created.