When I fall, I fall hard, and I love even harder…

Love is simple and complicated all in the same respect. It’s so simple to fall for someone. Falling in love is the easy part, everything else that surrounds that is what becomes complicated. Falling for someone who may not feel the same or is emotionally unavailable, is what makes it difficult. When the honeymoon stage starts to pass and the bliss has died down, that’s what makes it hard. You start to see the person for who they truly are, flaws and all. Start to recognize each other’s differences. Relationships are a full time job, you invest your time, feelings and even money into someone else, in hopes that in the end it will have been well spent. The issue lies when loyalty comes into question, when people commit to someone before they’re ready, when people rather give up than make their relationship work. Falling in love is easy, working it out is the challenge.
Relationships shouldn’t be 50/50, because they don’t hold a numerical value. Everyone loves differently and how they express their feelings varies. As long as you’re putting your best foot forward, giving it 100 percent, that’s really all that matters. If things don’t work out, at least you can walk away saying you were the best significant other you could possibly be.
“If it’s meant to be, it will be.” How can you ever really know if it was meant to be? Do you wait for a sign? We are all on that quest for “The one”. The person who is our better half and who we can see a future with. What if that person has been there all along and you have no idea? You never really know, you just have to go with the flow and trust your instincts.
Love is tricky. You make yourself vulnerable, allowing someone to have a part of you that’s sacred, physically and emotionally. It’s not always easy committing to someone because of that apprehension, that fear of getting hurt again, the thought of starting all over with someone new. But when you do give it a chance, allow someone in, it can be one of the best feelings in the world. Love is a gamble, a chance you take, but having someone to confide in, build with, and create memories with can make it all worthwhile.
One of the most important things to remember is to never lose yourself. Never forget who you were before you were with that person, never conform to their standards just to make them happy, and never settle for less than what you deserve. Know your worth. You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. How can someone fully appreciate you, if you cannot see the beauty that lies within?
Change is inevitable. People change such as the seasons do and both you and your partner will grow and evolve together. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. People grow apart and some grow closer as time passes, that’s life. Just don’t lose sight of you, your goals, and your dreams to be with that one person.
Compromise-the magic word. People are individuals and you are not always going to see eye to eye with the person you are with. Relationships are meant to be a partnership, not a dictatorship and communication is key. Try to see what the person is saying from their perspective, would you be upset if you’re significant other said that to you? Would you have reacted the same way they did? Pick and choose your battles. It’s not always worth the fight and winning an argument shouldn’t mean the end of a relationship.
Pride gets in the way of so many things. It will keep you from expressing how you truly feel about someone, until it is too late and someone else has already taken your place. It will keep you from admitting fault, even if you know you’re the one in the wrong. It can even make you lose someone because you weren’t willing to make that compromise, or be the bigger person. Pride costs nothing but it CAN cost you everything. Don’t let it.
That four letter word called love. Something so simplistic yet complex. An oxymoron within itself. Yet something we’ve come to understand as a necessity. There is no right or wrong way to love. Support one another, compromise, and put your pride aside. Make it your mission to make each other happy without losing sight of yourselves as individuals.

LOVE

Copyright 2015 Christiana Parisien