Love

Have you ever been in love?

What does it feel like, to love and be loved in return?

I ask because I'm not sure I know.

Or maybe I do, but I don't recognize it the way others do.

Am I alone in this?

Or is love something only those experiencing it can truly understand?

I've come to realize that words will never be enough to describe love not without leaving something out, not without making it feel smaller than it is. So, don't judge what you don't understand. Don't measure our love through the lens of your limited perception of affection.

Because if you have the ability to love, you are already blessed.

But be careful.

Don't mistake attraction for affection.

Don't mistake a passing pull toward someone as something deeper than it is.

And don't ever say that the reckless choices you make were for love.

Because love, true love

It either makes you stronger or exposes your deepest weaknesses.

It lays you bare, strips you of your defenses, and forces you to see yourself in ways you never dared before.

And in the best of cases, it gives you someone who will stand beside you,

Someone who will fight with you and for you,

Someone who will help you become stronger.

But here's the thing

Even love cannot save you if you cannot stand on your own.

Because at the end of the day, love is not about losing yourself in someone else.

It's about finding yourself, even when you're with them.

And if you don't understand that, then maybe you've never really been in love at all.