Have you ever had a high so amazing you couldn’t even see straight? Ever felt like you were on top of the world? This is a high you can get without putting any kind of harmful substances into your body. The only things that cause this high are love and more love.
The love I’m talking about is the love of a significant other. The kind of love where you can’t imagine living your life with anybody else. This is an unconditional love. It’s not the love of a father or a mother, but the love of partner that will stick by you the rest of your life. This isn’t the “love” you have for a “boyfriend” in fifth grade, but a real love that encompasses your entire being. Now, some may say that you can’t be in love at nineteen, but I wholeheartedly and respectfully disagree. When you know you’ve met “the one,” you’ve met the one person you’re destined to be with.
Love from a significant other helps you love yourself more than you already do. Because my boyfriend is honest, patient, selfless beyond comprehension, and kind, he shows me how I deserve to be loved. He respects me and knows my worth, which in turn helps me know what I’m worth.
Understanding: sympathetically aware of other people’s feelings.
If your partner isn’t understanding of how you feel or what you’re going through, something is wrong. A partner who truly loves you will be as sympathetic as can be to understand where you’re coming from. If you can open up to your partner about your past and he/she holds nothing against you, that is understanding (and love). If you can express your controversial opinion and he/she holds nothing against you, that is understanding (and love). In order for a relationship to be successful, you have to be loved for who you are as a person. No ifs, ands, or buts. You are to simply be loved for you.
Love is as critical to our wellbeing as the oxygen we breathe. The more we have, the better off we are. The less we have, the more depressed and unhealthy we are (I know from experience). Any kind of healthy love we receive is beneficial to us. But unhealthy love, is very, very damaging. At this stage in my life, I feel that the love of my boyfriend is more beneficial than the love of anyone else. He knows the real me more than anyone else, and he still loves me just as much. A healthy intimate relationship with a significant other is paramount to the mental and emotional health of us all.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 explains what love is so perfectly:“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
This is the kind of love that every human being deserves. No matter the race, sexual orientation, or religion. Everyone deserves love.
