Someone recently asked if I believe in love...

Someone recently asked if I believe in love. I do. I think everyone should have the chance to experience love at least once in a lifetime. I strongly recommend falling in love at least once.

To really fall in love is an experience equaled by no other. The act is an investment and takes work to develop, nurture and retain. Often times people will put in some time and then just give up. For some people work is a negative thing no matter how wonderful the outcome may be.

I believe the key to loving someone is to understand that there is a distinct difference between being "in love" and loving someone. Being "in love" can be fleeting but loving someone has staying power. The problems arise when people confuse the two.

Being "in love" is generally that giddy feeling in the beginning of a relationship. I've heard it referred to the honeymoon phase or the dating phase. Couples are putting their best foot forward. They try harder to be the best they can be. In the early stages of a relationship, pretty much every flaw can be overlooked and possibly not even seen. Kind of the "rose colored glasses" phase in a relationship. For the on looker watching someone ignore what they see as glaring flaws can be difficult to observe. The observer does not have on the "rose colored glasses." Although flaws to the observer are hard to ignore. For the participants this is the time errors in judgment are more often made.

The giddiness of being "in love" is awesome. Better than awesome is when couples stay in a relationship long enough to find the deeper level of love and find they are also still "in love." Those are the best kind of relationships! I describe one of my brothers and his wife as "the newlyweds." They are at 20 years now. They never really left the honeymoon phase and I could not be happier for them. I wish everyone could find deep true love and stay in love...

I have personally witnessed "love at first site." Sadly I haven't seen many of those relationships develop into the deeper love that only time brings. It is possible to get there though. Loving someone is when you want to grow old together. When you can't imagine your life without him or her. When you are willing to make changes to make each other happy. When you consider yourself a part of two.

Love is unconditional. Which means that most annoying things can be tolerated or even become an endearing feature. I think it is okay to overlook flaws as long as they don't bother you and do not harm others.

Love is risky you can get hurt. Love is however worth the risk so take it. Love takes effort. Keep working at it or you will be wasting your time. Love can heal.

Love can uplift. Love can strengthen. Love is powerful. Yes I believe in love.