Here’s What Fairy Tales Will Never Tell You About Real Love

I’m not sure if I ever really understood what love was or what it looked like, because growing up we were blasted with fairy tales that told us what love should be and what it should look like but never what it was in reality. I never saw love, so how would I know what it looked like?

What I know now is that you cannot see love, you cannot hold it, you cannot pick it out of a garden and shower someone with tangible love. Love is silent, love is kind, love shows up for you when nobody else will. Love is answering that phone call when you need it the most, love is dropping what you have to do and comforting those who you care for. Love is letting go, love is letting in, love is peace, love is feeling at ease and just knowing that everything will be okay because you are surrounded by it. You are surrounded by love. Some love you have to set free, only to allow it to come back if it’s meant to be.

Love doesn’t bite or bark or ask things of you. Love accepts you for who you are and wherever you are at that stage of life. Love feels good, and even when it does not, love comforts in those bad moments. Love answers when you call it; love doesn’t make excuses. Love isn’t made up or shown in exact moments or pictures or images; love is support. Love is kind and love is humble. We don’t have to choose it; love chooses us. Love doesn’t make excuses, love doesn’t make fun, love accepts and embraces. Love laughs when the world is dark and shines a light to brighten your path. Love doesn’t let you go. However, love has its timing as to which it will be placed into our lives. Love is patience, and we too must be. Love is showing up even when you may not want to.

 Love is accepting what is and what may not be but loving it anyways.

I hope that love challenges me and excites me, but I also hope that it comforts me and holds me when I am weak. I hope it pushes and strengthens me but motivates and moves me. I hope it is there when I need it but gives me space when I need that too. I hope that love understands that I am not perfect and that I have been through a lot but I am trying. I hope that love sees me for me and nothing else, nothing less. I hope love loves me like I will love it. I hope love comes in when I need it and steps back when I do not. I hope love meets me where I am and is my biggest fan. I hope love tucks me in when I am tired and pulls me up when I am energized. I hope love waits for me when I am sluggish but boosts me to be my best.

I guess, love, all I want from you is to let me be me and allow me to trust you to do that.