I've been through some crap in my love life. Every guy I had been with cheated on me at least once, and in return I gave them at least a year of my love and my life. After my second relationship ended, I was left scarred, abused, used, and betrayed. After that, I decided I would never look at a man and say I need you. No, from there on out, it was going to be I want you. You see, I think of needs as oxygen, water, food, shelter, and if I need a man, I will kill my soul little by little each time the one I need betrays me.

This was all true until tonight.

My current boyfriend and I have been together for over two years. Yeah, I know it isn't the longest time, but for some reason, it feels like we are old souls meant for each other. I have been in two other long-term relationships, and this time it's just different. But why is this different?

For a while I told him what Jhene Aiko quoted in her song "The Worst," "I don't need you, but I want you." He told me this saying hurt, and I never understood how until now, when I finally realized I want need him in my life. Love is something you need just as much as the oxygen you breathe. People can literally die if love is taken out of their lives permanently.

So, here is a list of reasons we all need love (even if we're young):

1. When you think you're all alone, you never really are:

My boyfriend and I are in a long-distance relationship and it sucks. I feel so lonely sometimes at school, I feel like I can't relate to anyone and I get scared, for a brief second until I get a text/call/Facetime from my man relating to me and reassuring me that I am in the right place at the right time and everything is working out for me. He always reminds me to breathe when things get crazy.

2. Xs & Os:

There isn't too much to say here, but it is a proven fact that all humans need 10 loving touches a day to feel loved and needed in the world. While I might not get that every day since we are apart, it is truly made up for when we see each other.

3. A best friend, forever, no matter what:

When you find someone you need in your life, that's when you will have a best friend forever. Girl friends are great and so are guy friends don't get me wrong. But after college when we all move to different places who will you really keep in touch with? Only the people you truly need in your life—Mom, Dad, siblings, significant other. Forever and always when you find the right one, you will always have a backing force, someone who will stand with you thick and thin, and best of all they will always be honest with you (even when it means telling you the dress really does make you look fat).

4. Daily reminders of why you are the person they also need.

When people feel there is a need for them in someone's life, it becomes exhilarating. You start to think of others before yourself. When you realize someone has a need for you in their life, it changes how you approach situations and what decisions you make because you are always thinking of how it will affect them and vice versa.

5. Someone to start a real life with.

When you find him or her, you no longer have to worry about how or when to start your "real adult" life because now there is someone who wants to help make decisions as a team.

6. Finally completing yourself with that other half God made just for you.

When you finally find the one, the Lord has truly blessed you. Everyone has someone out there that is meant for them. Unfortunately, so many people get caught up searching for love and normality that they never find their other half. Lucky for me I found him damn early in life and I am choosing to use that to my advantage. We have 80 more years to learn about each other and ourselves on this Earth, and when we so beautifully pass away, we get to spend eternity in pure bliss together.

There is no better feeling in this world than the feeling of needing someone. I always thought of this as a negative feeling, that needing someone would only hurt me in the end. The truth is, needing him in my life only makes me vulnerable to him and that's okay because he is vulnerable to me as well. And when we allow our vulnerabilities to be shown, we can grow with each other, even more, every day, for the rest of our lives.

Now go tell someone you love how much they mean to you, how much you need them in your life, and how unruly your crazy life would be without all the calm they bring to it.