Love

Love.

Such a short and simple word that people throw around everyday.

We love that

She loves him

I love you.

We throw these words around like they mean nothing, when in all reality,

Love is the strongest word in the world solely because of the feeling it represents.

I have always been surrounded by love,

Loving friends, loving family,

But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered the true meaning of loving someone,

And along with that, the circumstances in which that love is impossible.

Honesty.

Another word that I have come to understand and appreciate more.

It has been one of the values that I have wrongly overlooked in my life.

I don’t mean that in the sense that I have been dishonest,

But that I have never held it as being a vital characteristic in a friendship and relationship.

People lie to avoid being punished for their wrongdoings or to protect someone.

To be honest is to tell the truth no matter the circumstances.

Doublespeak is dishonesty,

Misinformation is dishonesty,

Deception is dishonesty,

Trust.

The final word that I have come to understand more deeply.

To trust doesn’t mean to close your eyes and fall backwards hopefully into someone's arms rather than the cold floor.

Trust is something that should be earned, not given.

I trust people blindly.

I have faith in the character of new people I meet.

I have this overarching belief that people are good and have good intentions.

This belief has given many an opportunity to take me for granted, and the most unexpected person finally did.

The pain that comes along with the butterflies,

The tears that accompany the smiles,

The sobs that come with the laughs.

I fell in love with a boy, and he broke my heart.

A year spent loving him.

In perspective, that may not seem like a significantly long relationship,

but it was my first.

He was my first love.

I spent that year being the perfect other half,

Only to be taken for granted.

Only to be lied to.

Only to be cheated on.

Being in love put me in a vulnerable place,

Being in love made me disregard the red flags,

Being in love made me make excuses for him,

Despite the lies, the cheating, the pain,

Being in love made me forgive him.

Cheating was not the end of us,

It was the distrust.

The dishonesty from him made me miserable,

The cheating made me insecure,

The betrayal was too much for me,

I realized that a relationship can never work without Trust and Honesty.

A messy breakup followed, but I emerged stronger and wiser.

A few months ago, these values might not have been of concern to me, but now I see their true value and I will not love anyone without it. I know what I deserve and now I know how to protect myself.