How does one know that they're "In Love"?
Over the years, I have gathered a lot of information on Love from a variety of different sources; Some Ancient, i.e. The Greek forms of love, or Religious, i.e. I Corinthians 13:4, while others a little more ridiculous, i.e. Gucci Mane's song "I think I Love Her," or infallible like the movie The Notebook. Yet with all of the plays by Shakespeare that I was forced to read in high school or my many (many) crushes through out my young adolescence. . . I cannot understand why Love is such a challenging concept to grasp? And even after understanding a crumb of the very large idea of "an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment" pie, why are we then faced with the idea of being "in Love" as something different.
The most intense, detailed description award of every type of Love known and accepted (as far as I know) seems to go to the ancient Greeks with their idea of: Philia, Eros, and Agape. If you don't already know, Philia is considered "Brotherly Love," usually shared between siblings or friends. Its the happy, warm, friendly, fuzzy type of Love.
Eros is also know as "Love Erotic" which is pretty simple, with no need of too much explanation. Although some see this Love as a lesser Love; it is actually a pretty high connection between two individuals in the act of becoming one being. Overall, it is a representation of a passionate Love, which, for the lack of a better word, has been perverted.
The last and one of the most highly respected form of Love (via many different religions) is Agape, which is "Unconditional Love." Agape is described in I Corinthians 13:4 with "Love is patient. Love is kind, etc."It is a description of all of the things that Agape can come up against without changing in level or intensity.
So where does the differentiation between loving someone and being "in Love" with someone come from? Well. . . apparently no one knows. . . but on a brighter note, it is commonly believed that one's concept of being "in Love" is defined by that person.
For example, growing up, my grandparents had a pretty unique relationship in which at times my brothers and I questioned whether they were in Love. One day, I asked my Papa if he loved my grandmother and he began to laugh, he said "Shit, I feed her don't I? I let her live here, Don't I?" I laughed with him, still not really understanding how that amounted to Love but as I grew older I realized that I kinda wanted a little bit of what they had. I wanted that understanding with someone, that this is who we are and we Love each other because and in spite of. The always shared a joke that no one else was in on and I miss him dearly, as I'm sure she does as well.
With this, my quest to understand whether I too was "feeling Love" was coming to an end. I realized that I had to define what it meant to be "in Love" for me. So here goes everything. . .
"I think being "in Love" for me is when I could see myself with a million other people and none of them would fit as perfectly as you. I think for me, being "in Love" is when I want to make you feel like the only person in the world, because that's how you make me feel. I think being "in Love" for me is when I am willing to go through whatever life can bring, joys and sorrows, as long as you are by my side. For better or for worse, I think for being "in Love" for me is when I desire to be with you, wholehearted, not from a position of passion, but in that if I could have that honor. . . it would make me that happiest person in the world."
Think. Happy. Thoughts ;)
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