The Love that You Deserve

Happty Galentine’s day to my squad. You guys make every day Galentine’s Day.

The smell of roses and chocolates and overstuffed teddy bears is in the air. This Valentine’s Day I have had the moment to reflect on the type of love that I should be looking for. I know I’m seventeen and I know my experience and knowledge when it comes to love is very very very limited, but my age should not discount the lessons that I have learned. Here’s what I think I know about love:

1. Be with someone who makes you laugh (really, really hard).

Find who understands your sense of humor, no matter how weird it is. And don’t be with someone who just makes you giggle—be with someone who makes you laugh so hard you almost pee your pants. Life is too short to not be with someone who makes you grin from ear to ear.

1. Be with someone you’re comfortable with.

I know this sounds like a ‘No, duh’ but I want people to know that you should be comfortable around your boyfriend or girlfriend. You should want to spend time with them, and those first-date nerves should eventually turn into excitement. If you don’t feel like you can truly be yourself around them, something may not be right. Things should be easy, and you should never feel like you have to force feelings.

1. Be with someone who remembers the small things.

You know that feeling you get when someone remembers that random detail you told them forever ago? Like how you ate chicken tenders every time you went to eat for three years when you were younger? Or how you’re scared of birds because one time you cried when the bird stole the puppy in The Proposal? Well, be with someone who gives you that feeling all the time, and loves you enough to remember those random details.

1. Be with someone who wants to be with you.

You know how they always say, “If someone wants to be with you, they’ll make it happen”? Well, 99% of the time, that’s true. This was and continues to be a difficult lesson for me to learn, but if someone wants to be with you, they will try to make that happen. Unfortunately, people aren’t as complicated as we think they are, and if you have to make reasons or excuses for someone, they may just not realize the amazing person they have waiting for them.

1. Be with someone who thinks of you.

One time, I think in some cheesy Hallmark movie, I heard love defined as, “When you see something really beautiful, the first person you want to tell is them. That’s love.” I think you should be with someone that sends you those ‘This made me think of you’ texts, whether it’s a picture of a puppy or some inside joke or the fact that your favorite hockey team won.

1. Be with someone who respects you.

I have decided that I want to wait until marriage to have sex. It’s something I have decided to do, and it’s between God and I. But just about every day, I worry that I won’t find a guy who is okay with that. Honestly, I’m terrified. I know this is me doubting God’s plans and whenever I worry, I try to trust God’s plans. I hope to find a man who respects my choice. It’s so important to find someone who respects you, in every single sense of the word, emotionally, physically, mentally. Find someone who never pushes or pressures you. Find someone who loves and respects you the way you are.

1. Be with someone who shows you Jesus’ love. 

Most importantly, you should strive to date someone who loves Jesus more than you. Jesus loves us so much and your significant other should strive to show that same love. Be with someone who prays for you, who goes to church with you, who talks scripture with you.

This Valentine’s Day, whether it was spent on a date or spent on homework, I hope you remembered the love that you deserve.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. // 1 Corinthians 13:13

#February2016 #lessonslearned #relationships