Knowing Love...

In a world that seems intent on "making love," I find it necessary to spend a few moments "knowing love."

To "know love" is to know that you have someone in your life whose mere presence gives you courage, strength and the inspiration every day to become a better person.

To "know love" is to know that even though you and your lover may not always agree, deep inside, you truly want the best for each other, and you strive to always protect and comfort each other.

To "know love" is to know that you'd rather fight with each other than make love to anyone else in the world.

To "know love" is to acknowledge that there will be tough times between each other, and that one or both of you may sometimes just want to give up, but all the while knowing in your heart that you'd rather spend a lifetime with them than to live all of the ages of this world alone, or chasing after an incomparable love.

To "know love" is to know that you share a bond with each other that, even though you've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in each other, you each can sift through the things that don't and won't matter in the long run and always return to the love you share at the end.

To "know love" is to know that you would rather have bad times together than good times with someone else; to know that you would rather be beside each other in a storm than safe and warm by yourself; to know that you'd rather have hard times together than to have it "easy" apart.

To "know love" is to acknowledge that God loves the other person even more than you do, and then ask Him to teach you how to love them the way He does.

To "know love" is to know that the little things matter and you should never pass by an opportunity to tell each other "I love you," "Thank you," and "I appreciate you."

To "know love" is to know that whether you're a few feet apart or hundreds of miles apart, distance can only keep you away physically, not emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.

To "know love" is to acknowledge that neither of you is perfect, that you may fail each other – sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ways, never intending to – but knowing that, in the end, you can still count on each other because while humans may fail, love never fails.

To "know love" is to learn each other's "love language" and then to always be conscientious of communicating with each other accordingly.

To "know love" is to know that even though you should take care of yourself for the other person, that it's okay to take care of each other, too.

To "know love" is to know that while you strive to grow individually, it doesn't mean you have to grow apart.

To "know love" is to take comfort in knowing that no one else in the world can love you the way the other does.

To "know love" is to know that things will not always be magically "perfect" and that a healthy relationship takes work, but then to make strides to make the "work" as pleasurable and painless as possible.

To "know love" is to know that a healthy relationship is where you come to give more than you take, and to know that your relationship is comparable with a banking account – being sure to make more "deposits" than you do "withdrawals."

To "know love" is to know that even if nothing else in your life is right, your whole world is complete because of each other.

If I know what love is... it's because of you.

11/24/08