Love isn’t about attraction, not about infatuation, not about lust, not about gifts and the length of time you spent together. Bottom line? There’s no reason at all. True love is having to wake up each day feeling so deeply in love and overwhelmingly happy whenever this person is around you without even knowing why. Making you forget about the past, cherish the present and wishing the future would be spending your lives together entirely.

Treat your girl right, bro. Plain and simple. I know it can be hard to please her sometimes, but it’s worth it in the end. Remember that she’s your happiness, your world. She should be the first person you talk to in the morning, and the last person you whisper “Good night” to. Unlike some of your bros, she’s going to be there for you when you’re the happiest, but more importantly, when you’re at your lowest. She’ll cook for you and care for you, so treat her like a queen. Girls are delicate creatures. Think before you say. Think before you act. They take every little mistake you make and multiply it by a thousand. So try not to mess up, alright?

When you’re fighting, sometimes it’s better to put your relationship before your own pride. You’re not helping yourself by making her upset, bro. And never, ever, under any condition, let her go to sleep crying. She’ll resent you for it for the rest of your days. Don’t forget to make her feel special everyday. Open doors, go shopping with her. Hell, make dinner for her! The more you show her you love her, the more she’ll give you in return. Remember that an “I love you” via text is never as special as one in person. And show her off to your bros, don’t be ashamed of her. She’s never been ashamed of your dorky ass. Look, she doesn’t really need much in a relationship; she just wants to feel like she matters to you. That’s not asking for much, bro.

But if you haven’t learned a thing from reading this, remember this. Love her unconditionally, loyally, and keep her close. Love her with everything you’ve got: emotionally, mentally, and physically. Because I swear, if you won’t treat your girl right, someone else definitely will.

Before, I asked God to give me someone special to love.

I found you then lost you.

I asked God why and He answered, “But my child, the one you asked for asked for somebody else.”

Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.

~Louis De Bernieres

“I don’t know how or why but I do know that you changed my life. I met you and I’ve ever been the same since. I don’t know if it’s for better or worse or just for nothing but I know that you changed me, you really did. You taught me how to live my life, I mean really live. You showed me that I don’t have to be afraid of what other people think of me. You taught me to laugh, laugh at everything and to always smile no matter how hard it is. You told me to never give up dreaming and I never have. Somewhere between all the hugs and the laughs and the smiles, I fell in love. I know times have changed and I get it, I really get it but I just want you to know that I do and will always love you.”

It’s hard not to want you. I long for you too much, it hurts. But ignorance is my new best friend. I’m better off with it than with you.