This is not only to one person specifically. I think that a lot of people do not understand that love. Love is a concept that we all believe that we know, whether we relate this to someone else or even to a video game, we all believe that we know love. So many people seem to only believe that it involves relationships with other people. However, it does not seem as if everyone has a consensus on this topic. Therefore, this is my definition of love. These are the steps:

1. Love starts with the self.

There was a huge period in my life where I did not love myself. I would wake up every morning remembering all of the negative things that people would say to me and that was it. I never looked at myself in the mirror and thought about what I had to offer the world because people close to me were so quick to judge me. I was called annoying, dumb, stupid, and told that nobody could ever speak common sense to me. Even though I did not believe these words deep down, I still believed them. They hurt me every single day, both when this person was in my life and sometimes even today.

One day I woke up and decided that I need to focus on myself and look within in order to solve these problems. If I did not love myself, how could I expect someone else to see what I offered the world? I decided to take action and start to treat myself as I would treat other people. I started calling myself beautiful instead of needing others to do it. I faced the people in my past that thought the worst of me. I confronted those awful thoughts that I once believed in myself.

2. Love does not hurt.

Looking at yourself in the mirror and not realizing that you are worth it. You are worth life and happiness and the entire world. You have a purpose. You have feelings, You have a meaning. Those around you that think and believe otherwise do not deserve a place in your life. Therefore, those you love should not take these away from you. Love should not call you awful names and leave you alone when you need it most. It should not continually diminish your self-worth.

This step took me a while. There were some people in my life that still today appear to only want to cause me pain. Even though I knew and understood who they were, it has been one of the most trying times of my life finally letting them go. I had to accept that they were not good for me and that they did not show me love in its true form. Not surprisingly, after I let these people go, they quickly went on to the next one to convince themselves that they know how to love. However, even though this hurt to watch, I know deep down that their purpose in my life was to learn how to let go. By going through this, I learned that those that love you should never diminish your beliefs and your passions, regardless of how stressful they are.

3. Love is there in the times you need it most.

Some days just do not go your way. Especially for college students, some semesters do not go your way. LIfe is stressful and every single person is just trying to find happiness and acceptance.However, love should always be there for you through everything.

I have learned this point in a very difficult way. This experience has occurred several times throughout my short life. When the doctors told me that I needed to have someone with me because they did not know what was going on. When I was trapped in my own darkness. When I was taken for granted time and time again. Love was always there, even though it may not have come from the people that I thought I needed it from.

Love from my mother and friends always kept me going. My number one person at the time was not there, but my friends always were. I could call them to cry and vent. I could call them even if I needed a hug. This showed me that love is always there. For me, it does not matter if what place someone is in, if you loved them, there should still be love there. Even if I had not spoken with my mother in months, I know that she will be there.

* * *

Thank you to everyone that has ever truly known what love was. Specifically, thank you to all of the people that have given and shown me the true concept of love when I felt like I did not deserve it. Thank you to the ones that stuck up for me, even when it took me way too long to listen. To the ones that watch me cry and feel worthless, but still never gave up. To the ones that have never left me behind when I needed them. To the ones that are still supporting every crazy mission and adventure that I go on. THANK YOU!