What Is Love?

 COURTSHIP, LOVE, ROMANCE!!!
Do you know that the best time to know yourself is when you're
IN LOVE?
You discover feelings you never knew you had. The heights of
jealousy, passion, anger, and affection. It's up to you to be
master or slave to them.

Committing into a relationship entails a lot of hard work to
keep it because LOVE is an act of the will, to live for another, 
to giveoneself to meet the needs of another.Opening up 
your heart means making room for love, patience, 
understanding and sacrifice.

Loving a person is like holding sand in your hand. Held
loosely,with an open hand, the sand remains  where it is.
The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to 
hold on, the sand trickles though your fingers. You may 
hold on to some of it, but most will be spilled. Loving a 
person is like  that.  Held loosely, with respect and freedom
for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold
too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship 
slips away and is lost.

You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.


Is it love?....Probably not, if it....

- Assumes the other person will change to please you.

- Causes feelings of insecurity or jealousy.

- Appeared as "love at first sight"

- Is easily forgotten when the other person is not around.

- Makes you feel "stressed out" when you're together.

- Consumes your life. Is selfish.

- Seems to have peaked and is diminishing. Limits other
  friendships.

- Is based on your partner's appearance.

- Is based on feelings of possessiveness.

- Has sexual gratification as it's main goal.

- Pressures you to do things you don't want to do.

- Blinds you to your partner's faults.


Maybe, if it ...

- Accepts the other person as he or she is.

- Builds trust.

- Started out as friendship.

- Lasts even when distance separates you.

- Makes you feel relaxed and at ease with each other.

- Allows you to do things without your partner.

- Makes you place your partner's needs before your own.

- Gets stronger as time goes on.

- Allows you to have friends of both genders.

- Considers appearance as only part of the attraction.

- Recognizes the other person's individuality.

- Is rewarding without a sexual component.

- Allows you to reflect things that make you uncomfortable.

- Accepts your partner's faults.