Love In Stages

There are five stages to love:

Attraction, infatuation, comfort, tribulations, and separation.

Attraction,

causing the butterflies in your stomach and sweaty palms.

Those palms attached to fingers that long to interlock with theirs.

The desire to be with that person all the time.

To talk to them about anything at all. 

And when you're finally ready, 

you make your move.

If you're lucky,

they might feel the same about you.

Infatuation,

the “honeymoon phase”.

The chapter of your relationship that makes you  feel like you've taken a long vacation to Hawaii.

Where the sun always shines and there is never a cloudy day.

The chapter of your relationship that makes you blind.

Comfort,

both dangerous and delightful.

It may cause passion and romance to decline.

But, it could also be a stage establishing trust and honesty.

If not…

Tribulations:

the complete opposite of the honeymoon phase.

Problems, problems, problems.

“Will we ever get through this?”

“Do you still love me?”

“Why can’t you just be honest with me?”

This stage requires more strength and endurance than Usain Bolt.

If you can’t bear this pain…

Separation,

here come’s the heartbreak.

When you still love one another but need the space.

The space to grow as individuals.

The space to become stronger.

The space to become resilient. 

However, there is another kind of love.

True Love.

This love does not end with separation.

Instead, this love is everlasting.

This type of love makes you feel those butterflies in your stomach and sweaty palms long after the first meeting.

This type of love makes you feel the warmth of the sunshine on your face every time that person smiles.

This type of love is flooded with trust and honesty,

with a never ending supply of passion and romance.

This type of love is even stronger than bulletproof glass,

being able to withstand whatever life shoots at you.

This type of love makes you grow stronger and more resilient. 

This type of love is rare.