Love is possibly the strongest emotion in our lives. Look at the most famous songs of our time and of the past. It wasn’t the hip-hop and catchy lyrics that became treasures in peoples’ music playlist. It was the ballads, the heart wrenching songs, the breakups, the serenading songs that became an everlasting memory. Although we may have overplay those songs and shut it out of our minds, come a few years later when the song pops up on your radio or your random music playlist, the emotions come pouring through again and you feel you are reliving the memory.

I can’t say I have had plenty of relationships. I can’t say that I have dated much too. I guess they mainly come in the form of crushes, that sudden burst of excitement and fascination about the girl that I have just met or something she did triggered it in me. Do you really need to be in a relationship to know what love is though? Can someone on the bench know what it’s like to be on the field? I guess my thoughts about this are born out of deaths, personal experiences, observations and my spiritual faith.

They say love comes when you least expect it. Everyday we meet people in our lives and have conversations with them. That guy or girl could very well be the one you will spend the rest of your life with. We don’t know and I think that’s something truly beautiful. I guess it usually starts with a first impression. He or she feels different compared to the others. It could be the conversation you had, their voice, their eyes, their smile or the way they approach you. You feel this might go somewhere and you chat longer. The chasing begins and if you are fortunate, it ends with you two being together.

Every relationship is a risk. If there isn’t, then it wouldn’t be called love. The very act of love is not knowing where it’s going to go but you are willing to wait and find out because the person is truly important to you. Like anything, it comes with its stress and strain. The initial burst of excitement has now died down and what people are entering after that is the comfort zone. The two are comfortable with each other and sometimes there’s trouble with that. Your initial phase was based on the excitement and the unknown. The mystery of the person intrigues you. After all is said and done, what happens next?

Love is not something that can be quite explained in words. It’s felt and experienced. You will know it when you feel it. Love can be tangible with patience, selflessness, sacrifice, time, laughter, sadness, attraction and so much more. Love encompasses all of that. I know when I love someone, I feel something at the bottom of my heart. Physically, I feel something there to be honest but that’s just me.

How do you know when you stop loving someone? What happens when you feel like you are in limbo? You want to be with a person but you are still not sure if you love the person any more. No one can answer that question for you except yourself. Maybe ask yourself, why do you feel this way? What went wrong? Do you not have that light headedness any more each time you see him or her? Love is a two way street at times. If you really love someone, you yourself must put effort into it as well and make time for things. Are you with your her simply because you dread finding another one? Are you with him because things seem comfortable enough and it feels neither right or wrong? I guess you should ask yourself the question, is there anyone out there that can make you feel happier than he or she does?

I think in our day and age, we are mesmerized by the romantics of it all portrayed in movies and books. Life does not always turn out that way. I know my parents didn’t meet in the most perfect of circumstances but I’m pretty sure they love each other till today. Sometimes fiction is beautiful but it does not mean we impart it on our own reality. Sometimes, we have to remember that it’s our life and not others. Every story plays out differently and isn’t that why we meet each other to talk about it?

Don’t give up that easily on someone for giving up in itself is the easiest path. If you have asked yourself all the right questions and you feel he or she is inadequate for you, maybe something needs to be done. I said this at my sister’s wedding and I will write it here again. When there’s trouble or difficulty in your relationship, think back of the first date. Think back of that first day. Think back of what drawn you to that person initially because I’m sure you will remember them. That was the defining moment. Cherish that moment and keep it in your hearts forever. In the end, love prevails.