Well with it being one week before the big, fabulous, commercial holiday of Valentines Day, I decided I'd get nice and mushy and write about love. And not just boy meets girl love...but love in all areas of your life through all different relationships...
Unfortunately, I think it takes a good 20 years to really appreciate and understand love. I believe we spend the first 20 years taking advantage of love. Taking advantage of the unconditional love given to us by our parents, grandparents, and siblings (maybe aunts and uncles too, if you are lucky). I most certainly took advantage of the unconditional love my parents had for me, regardless of the amount of times I came home wasted, scared them to death, and never appreciated them for caring for me/not killing me (thanks Mom & Dad). I remember growing up if I had a bad day at school, who do you think got the brunt of my bad mood? My poor parents and poor little brothers...and why didn't they kick me to the curb? Unconditional love...(and my brothers were scared of me..hehe).
Then once you past that 20 something year hump where you stop being a self absorbed ass and start appreciating the people in your loves and truly connecting with the friends you have...then you experience the irreplaceable love of best friends. (at this time you also experience the love of a significant other, but I'll get to that..). I think post-college-transitional-figuring-my-life-out stage is when you truly find love throughout your friends...during this time when you are changing who you thought you were to become who you want to be (and all the mix ups in between), you realize who are you true friends that actually love the core you. Yup, they love that obnoxious you...shocking, right? THAT's how you know it's love! These are the people you vow to grow old with, raise your kids together, be each others bridesmaids and groomsmen, and continue debauchery until you are too old to pronounce the word. (they deserve valentines too!)
And then...there is the lovey dovey love. The heart skips a beat, weak at the knees, love each others flaws, first person you want to see in the morning, and last person you want to hold at night kind of love. That type of love is more often than not, celebrated every day of the year and really doesn't even need Valentines Day (but as a girl...I will still take it, haha). That type of love is not always easy to find, always takes some work, should always endure some rough patches, and can be the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling there is.
And lastly, and probably most importantly...the love for yourself. This love should not be influenced by anyone but yourself. This love can get you through some of the hardest situations and moments of complete self doubt. This love can be the difference between giving up and succeeding. This love most certainly takes 20 years to develop and probably 20 more years to work on. This love will help you get through all of the other loves...because without this love, those loves cannot truly exist (at least not to their fullest potential). This year, next week, give yourself a Valentine. Treat yourself...or at the very least, tell yourself you love you. Because you should. :)
XOXO
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