Love is not always a box of chocolates.
Unfortunately, being in love can be a form of unrequited love. Think back to your pre-teen-boy-band-crazed years—you were totally in love with a Jonas brother or any celebrity with unquestionably nice hair and alarmingly tight pants. Cutouts and posters were plastered all over your bedroom. Your twelve-year-old-self can thank Popstar! magazine for feeding your addiction and updating you about all the “juicy gossip” surrounding your celebrity crush.
But did he know that you exist? Of course not. You were just another crazed fan who thought she was in love.
Fast forward to now - not much has changed. Instead of a pop star, maybe you fell in love with your lab partner or even your best friend - someone who most likely acknowledges your existence, but may be unable to reciprocate the same feelings that you have for them.
If you get to experience what it's like to be in love, it's a beautifully tragic ordeal. Being in love is a surreal high. On occasion, this “high” may not last—if it dwindles, we may desperately attempt to seek out that initial high. But break ups are not uncommon—the pain of heartache is all too familiar in this day and age.
Love is a potent emotion that yearns to be felt—if it is not reciprocated, devastation can swiftly prevail lust. Whether it be for lust, love, or a simple friendship, I am sure we’ve all put more effort and prioritization into a relationship than the other party. That being said, being in love is not always a two-way street.
Having a connection, on the other hand, is.
Being in love and having a connection are two different things.
A connection is defined as a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else. A connection requires the linkage between two bodies, two minds and two hearts. There would be no connection without the presence of two separate entities.
A connection is built on communication, common interests and morals, shared ideas and compassion, etc. This happens when two people actually engage in conversation and discover each other, and maybe even discover themselves in the process.
It is a two-way street because it takes two people to form a connection. Love without a connection is like a heart without a beat—it's just dead.
Truth is, you cannot simply fall in love with the idea of someone. You must understand the inner workings of their mind in order to build that connection, opening the door to more possibilities.
If that connection is there, it can be there for love, friendship, or it can simply be for the sake of sharing a bond. A soulmate. Regardless, if there is a connection, the possibilities are endless. It all starts there.
