Year in review: my favorite thoughts

Ok, I know I'm a little late on this one, but here goes. I didn't write this, but an old friend of mine from college did. It was on her away message for a while, and it helped me through a difficult time in my love life. Since someone I know looks like they might be heading for a rough patch themselves soon, I thought it would be appropriate.


To every beginning there is an end. And to every end
there is a beginning. But this concept is easily
forgotten. You know the feeling when you feel like
things can’t get any worse, and then they do? When
people are afraid of heights, they avoid going to high
places. And no one is going to go on a plane that they
know crashes 9 out of 10 times, unless you’re trying
to die that is. And everyone says that there is
nothing that hurts more than a broken heart. So then
you have to wonder. Why do people set themselves up in
relationships, when 9 out of 10 times they fail? Why
are people willing to take that risk, which 9 out of
10 times hurts them more than anything else? The
answer is, that being in love, and feeling the sense
of satisfaction that you get when you’re with the
person you love is surpassed by none. People are
willing to do things they never thought possible.

Is love a primal instinct? At the core of every
person, there is a need to love and to be loved. And
that is the one thing people say that they need to
complete themselves as a person. When they’re not in a
relationship, they feel an “emptiness.” And when they
are in a relationship, they feel “fulfilled.” People
were ready to fight to death over love. And today,
some people still are. Love, at the most pure state,
is simple. Just to love and be loved is totally
primal. It’s all the romance of a relationship that
makes it seem more “evolved.” It’s what society has
told us what love should be, and what you should do
for love. We still have the same instincts, protect
the one you love and be with the one you love. But
somehow, love got a lot more complicated.

What is romance? I suppose that’s up to the person.
Everyone has his or her own definition of romance. I
tend to think I’m an old-fashioned romantic. I go for
the flower thing and the romantic dinner and just
everything being “perfect.” And no matter what you’re
idea of romance is, you always want it to be perfect.
And sometimes, you’ll actually have times where things
seem perfect. People put such a heavy meaning into
perfection, and for some people, it can be the
simplest things. A sincere moment when someone says,
“I love you,” when the world seems to stand still, and
everything seems to be right, that can be perfection.
Just looking out at the stars with someone you love
can be considered perfection. Even a simple kiss can
be considered perfection. People tend to think that
perfection is a very elaborate process, when
sometimes, it can be the simplest things.

What is love? I believe that there are many different
types of love, one that you feel for your significant
other, another that you feel for your family, and
another that you feel for your friends. Each one of
these are different in many ways, but the one thing
that never changes is the amount of love you feel for
them. You love them all with all your heart, and
although it may be a bit different in each situation,
love really can’t be measured. To love someone is
going beyond the realms of like, and goes beyond
caring for someone. You can’t love one person more
than another; you can just love them differently.
Because when it comes to love, there is no “more.”
Just like you can’t place a value on love, you can’t
place an amount on it either. Love is when you feel
blissfully happy with this person. When there is no
other that makes you as happy. And when there is no
one that you would rather be with.

How does love happen? There is no set time and place
that love will “happen.” Sometimes it happens at the
most unexpected times. A look, a smile, even a
friendly nod can make you fall in love. And for those
of you more skeptical, a meaningful conversation, a
wonderful kiss, or a simple goodbye can make you
realize your feelings. But when one of those things
happen, and you look back at it, didn’t your
friendship with this person start with a look, a
smile, or a friendly nod? They say good-byes make
people realize feelings they had for someone. And a
lot of times, you don’t even realize you’re in love
until something or someone makes you realize it. If
love was predictable, don’t you think a lot more
people would be with “that one” by now? But it’s the
unexpected that makes love even more exciting. And
when you realize you’re in love with someone, things
seem so much different. The way you talked to that
person or carry yourself. Even if you were best
friends with this person since kindergarten, feel
absolutely comfortable with this person, as soon as
you realize you love that person, and I mean real
romantic love, all of the sudden, things seem so
different. And sometimes it’s the person you least
expect that turns out to be the love of your life. Or
perhaps, the person that you are best friends with
turns out to be the one.

What have I learned? I learned to never take love for
granted. Because love is what makes life worthwhile.
You know you have a good friend when you can say, “I
love you” to a girl or guy, and they can say it back
to you, no hesitation. Those are the people that will
be with you for life, whether or not they’re
physically with you. Love is something that can’t be
described with words, but you can’t deny it when it
happens. You know you love someone when the mere
thought of the person can make you smile. Not even an
event or memory, just the thought of that person. Love
isn’t always a romantic emotion, and sometimes it’s
the ones that don’t start out that way that are the
ones that last. And usually you have a lot more fun
with that person when it turns out like that. I
learned to be careful, because love is like fire, it
can do wonderful things, but it can also burn you.
Keep love close to your heart, because there are many
things that influence what you think at the time, but
if you believe in the love, don’t lose faith in it.
Don’t give up. Because you may realize you made a
mistake once it’s gone, but then it may be too late.

So, to clear up my first two sentences of this paper,
with every beginning of a relationship, there will be
an end. It is inevitable. Even if the end comes with
death. Although, looking at things the way I am now,
I’m not sure if I agree with it. Because can death
really stop love? Maybe not. Maybe it isn’t a
forgotten concept. Maybe it’s a disproved concept. But
as for the second half, with every end there is a
beginning. That I believe. Because really, there is no
end. There is no end to love, to true love. It’s the
end of things in your life that become new beginnings,
and start new things. True love is a rare thing, but
it’s there if you believe in it. And if there is
anything to believe in, it would be love.