In the English language, we use the word love for just about everything. We love pizza and chocolate milk. We also love our family, children, and spouse. Is pizza really as important to you as the man you love? I hope not, maybe do some reevaluating if it is. Here are all the ridiculous and beautiful steps to falling in love.

1. The schoolgirl crush.

You see him doing simple things that make you swoon. Walking by him, you turn to your friend and confess your undying love. Looking at him makes your heart drop even though you’ve said maybe two words to him. My friends call it a “celeb crush”. Except they're not even famous. You’re just in love with the idea of him.

2. When you realize you need to chill.

Once you actually start talking to him and maybe even flirt once in awhile you feel extremely creepy. So you back off and stop telling your friends that you love him.

3. You can’t stop smiling.

You honestly cannot stop smiling at everything he does and it’s making your friends sick. Get a grip. No, the way that he picks lettuce out of his teeth is not ‘so darn cute’.

4. Accidentally letting the “L” word slip.

Now you’re getting kind of serious and you’re probably dating. When you two hang out you have moments where you have to bite your tongue. Sometimes he’ll do something goofy or sweet and you have a sudden urge to say “I love you”. You’re not entirely sure that you actually feel that way, in fact, the words surprise you a little bit as they try to force their way out.

5. When you’re too afraid to say it.

No one wants to be the first to get vulnerable. No one wants to tell the other that they love them before knowing if it will be returned. You play the perfect scenario over and over in your head trying to decide the best time to say it. Maybe you even think of ways to trick him into saying it. Should you do it sober? Or say screw sobriety for some liquid courage and an out if things don’t go well.

6. Shut up already.

Now the L word has been spoken and spoken and spoken. Every chance you get you’re telling each other how in love you are. It’s annoying, seriously. You’ve been dating how long? Please stop planning your wedding.

7. When it gets real.

So there’s this moment when you realize all those other steps were a load of crap. It’s a simple moment where you kind of get into your head. And in that moment for whatever reason you look at him and you know that you love him. It’s like you’re feeling love for the first time. But this is a different love. You loved him before but in the way that you love a baby cousin or your mom. This is true love and it makes you feel stupid for having degraded the word love like that for the last steps.