The definition of love

The definition of love

1/6/13

I love/am emotionally attached to a lot of things: Chapstick, socks with non-slip pads on their underside, wooden hangers because they make me feel special, new pillows and celebrity meltdowns, but is that love? Is that the kind of deep euphoric love that Tom Cruise freaked the fuck out about on Oprah's couch? Eh.

Love isn’t circumstantial or one-sided; it isn’t telling guys you’re taken at da club or buying a $750,000 Lambo for your boyfriend of a nano-second (Cough, KIMYE), love is more than that.

Love is being the biggest cheerleader for someone there ever was. It’s like being Kirsten Dunst in Bring it On, but you’re rooting for your bf/gf all the time, and for everything from getting their dream job to getting a car loan approved. It’s truly wanting him/her to succeed in anything they apply themselves to and believing – not thinking – they’re the damn best at what they do.

It’s wanting someone to be happy and wanting to protect this person from any evils in the world like jerky bosses, bullies and terrorists. It’s also being concerned about someone’s well-being, more than your own sometimes, because if he/she gets swine flu or in a street fight, you would feel that person's pain and…just, no. Don't go there.

Love is wanting to kiss open mouth even when you know he/she is sick. It doesn’t matter because that one kiss could be your last, even if you just got Mono. It’s love, baby.

It’s thinking someone is a perfect 10. This person can sit on the couch in a dirty t-shirt from middle school, eat Bugles off his/her's fingers and still be a vision inside and out – it’s indescribable.

Love is being kind for no other reason than wanting to; it’s not about ulterior motives or selfish needs. You’re selfless when you’re in love and you’re always there when you’re needed – no distractions like N64 or Twitter – and you’re also doing things you never would have before like buying tampons and, y'know, other weird things we don't talk about but do.

It’s knowing another person better than yourself. You could sense anger/sadness/depression in a two-worded text if you had to. You just know.

Love is arguing. It’s arguing about dirty dishes and lack of communication. But it’s really arguing about the lack of communication, it’s never about the dishes. But you get over it. It’s also about loving a person even when they’re acting like an ass; you know they’ve had a long day or have raging PMS, it will pass (but don’t put up with someone who’s an ass all the time).

Love is wanting to do good, to be a better you, so you can be the best you for this person. It’s working on things someone pointed out are poor attributes, that you’ve known all along and are now willing to change… so they don’t leave you. Yeah, you’re pissed off and ready to throw elbows, but you’re only mad for a little while because you’re in love. And you’ll change. 

There are, of course, a lot more notables when it comes to love, but two more things: love is forgetting everyone else that ever hurt you and actually being able to look back and be grateful for so many trivial relationships that brought you to the one you're in. 

And you're happy. You're truly happy.

Photo via NastyGal