60 Tiny Things That Mean Yay! It's Real Love

Love.

People say you know it when you feel it.

And while that's true, it's also frustrating.

To me, love is so many different things that it's easy to lose your grip on its meaning. Love is a feeling in the pit of your stomach sure, but it's also a choice. Love is a quickie in the bathroom or it's 60-year marriage. Or it's both.

Love is so many things to so many different people.

I thought I would try to write down examples of real love, and I don't know if I succeeded, but I think I got pretty close.

Here are 60 tiny things that mean it's real love.

Love is...

1. ... kicking down your walls

And hopefully being with someone who can actually help you build walls.

2. ... making yourself vulnerable

It's the scariest and most rewarding thing you can do.

3. ... taking a flying leap

Knowing someone will catch you.

4. ... thinking about someone else's needs

Even before your own.

5. ... putting those needs above your own

And anything else in your life.

6. ... is wishing you lived inside someone's head and heart

And it still wouldn't be close enough.

7. ... holding in your farts

This one is really important.

8. ... still being in love when you can't hold the farts in anymore

They knew it was bound to happen anyways.

9. ... saying yes to the universe

It will reward you.

10. ... going to his terrible office karaoke party

The things you do for love.

11. ... the way your heart glows when he smiles

It's the prettiest thing you've ever seen.

12. ... being able to lash out because you know he isn't going anywhere

He knows how to communicate effectively.

13. ... 3 a.m. dance parties in rural hotels

The most fun thing you could ever do.

14. ... hurting when they hurt

You hate seeing them crying.

15. ... trying stuff you always swore you'd never do

Love has turned you into someone who tries new things.

16. ... realizing how lost you'd be without them

They're like your own personal compass

17. ... saying goodnight every night no matter where you are

It's the little things.

18. ... when they let you sleep in even though they're up with the sun

How do they do it?

19. ... a cheesy disco party

You'll never wanna have a different kind of party again.

20. ... a bomb of glitter that you never have to clean up

They sparkle so much.

21. ... getting drunk off their skin

It's more intoxicating than vodka.

22. ... wanting to have their baby

And you know it would be the cutest baby.

23. ... bursting out laughing in the middle of a stupid fight

Only they could make you do that.

24. ... telling all of your secrets — even that one

Now you can hold this over them forever.

25. ... bringing your imaginary friend to life

They're like your best friend.

26. ... a safe place to fall

They're like home to you.

27. ... calling each other out on stuff that matters

They hold you accountable.

28. ... letting the stuff that doesn't matter go

None of it will matter in 10 years.

29. ... sharing a guilty pleasure

You both love to eat Oreos with peanut butter.

30. ... telling them about the scar on your shin

It's actually a really boring story, but still.

31. ... electric

Like lightning.

32. ... a battlefield

Like war.

33. ... breakfast in bed and the Sunday paper

Your favorite day of the week.

34. ... sitting together and saying absolutely nothing

It's beautiful how you can share silence with somebody.

35. ... not knowing if you're going to make it through this

But really, really hoping that you do.

36. ... making a promise you hope to God you can keep

And you will keep it.

37. ... a test

One you will pass.

38. ... an honor

You're proud to be with them.

39. ... from heaven

Most of the time.

40. ... from outer space, a drug sent by aliens to keep us sexed up and stupid

Thanks aliens!

41. ... the first time you had spaghetti

A weird but very memorable experience.

42. ... sitting together in the hospital waiting room

He gets scared of doctors.

43. ... slamming the door and swearing you'll never talk to him again

And then you text him two hours later.

44. ... your heart flipping over when he texts you

Every. Single. Time.

45. ... laughing so hard you pee a little

And then you make him laugh so hard he pees a little too.

46. ... suddenly turning into a cat person

You swore you would only ever have dogs.

47. ... nicknames

Suddenly you only answer to Snooky Muffins.

48. ... how your heart goes soft when you see his face right when he wakes up

Even with his mouth wide open and he's snoring.

49. ... swallowing your pride

Sometimes you have to apologize first.

50. ... buying him his favorite candy bar just because

Any time you go to the gas station you have to get him his favorite snack.

51. ... still thinking about him years later

You think you'll love them forever.

52. ... feeling nervous when you meet his friends

You really hope they like you.

53. ... hugging his mother for the first time

She made the person you love most in the world.

54. ... popping that zit on his back

It's gross, and it's love.

55. ... catching his eyes when you're putting on makeup in the mirror

And he winks at you, and you get all flustered and ruin your eyeliner.

56. ... a disaster

A beautiful one.

57. ... your undoing

And your making.

58. ... fighting as hard as you can to stay awake just to be together a little while longer

You never wanna go to sleep again.

59. ... all there is

It's everything.

60. Love is why we're here

It's the only thing that makes any of this worth it.

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Rebecca Jane Stokes is an editor, freelance writer, former Senior Staff Writer for YourTango, and the former Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek. Her bylines have appeared in Fatherly, Gizmodo, Yahoo Life, Jezebel, Apartment Therapy, Bustle, Cosmopolitan, SheKnows, and many others.