Have you ever been in love?

A favorite band of mine says, "When they swear their love is real, they mean 'I like the way you make me feel.'" I don't think I have found myself at such utter disagreement with this particular band before. I have a girl now, who I am in love with. She is a 5' 4 1/2" tall almost blond actress and singer, whom I have know since before high school. I found myself at an impasse with this band because of the impact this girl has had on my life. I had feelings for her, for a long time before we actually had a "boyfriend/girlfriend" relationship. Yet still, I wished her happiness in every relationship I saw her in. Even though I knew the boy(s) was(were) not right for her. To me, that his how I simply define love. I define it as a selfless thing, and by no means am I saying I am selfless, but I am saying I will do my best to be. That is why I disagree with this mewithoutYou (this is the name of the band to which I was referring) quote. When I think of love, I find a meaning in the word deeper than any attachment of another kind. Although love is affected by the way you feel being around your significant other, the way you feel (immediately) is not a determining factor. Love is not a feeling, it is a lifestyle. One of my favorite quotes (from a yet undetermined source, because of my lack of memory skills) pertaining to love is "I love you, I may be mad as hell at you, but I'll still love you." You don't choose who you love, you simply discover. When you find love, it's almost like they say in the movies. Maybe a little less glamourous, but when you find it, you know. You know because it's no longer about something you want. Love is about finding that someone that it hurts to be apart from. Finding the someone who can reciprocate the burning desire to be in their presence at all times. It is a needy thing, to be in love. It is utter dependancy upon a person, a person you can talk to, a person you can be with, a person you can share a night with, and never feel out of place around. As I said, love is a lifestyle, rather than a thing you can fall in and out of. When you find that special someone, you know that they are right when you will fight to keep them in your life, when you would do anything just for the opportunity to see their face every day. Love is the concious decision to share your life with another person. To be in love is to make provisions for the future, and include the person without a second thought. Love is the stubborn refusal to give up. Love is the decency to see to another human beings happiness before your own, simply because you feel that they should be happy. Love is not sweating the small stuff. Love is loving the person right where they are. Memorizing every scratch and bruise they got along the journey of their life, and filling in their faults with a little bit of yourself.

To end my blog about love, I will end it with another of my favorite quotes pertaining to love:

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8

Okay, I lied, a FEW of my favorite quotes about love.

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

Noelle - age 7

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4