This I Believe

I believe in love, true and unconditional. Love may develop over time, or it may occur at first sight. I know about love at first sight because I've experienced it. Love is the opposite of hate. Love means to care for another when sick, be there to lift another up when they're hurt or down and to listen to another when they need it. It also means to be honest, not hurtful, faithful and not deceitful. Love is physical, as much as it is mental and emotional. Love is not skin-deep, but soul deep. It is a necessity, not just a want.

I believe in public signs of affection. I believe in hand holding and kissing in crowded places. I believe in telling someone you love that they look good and meaning it. I believe in slow dancing, candlelit dinners and nights spent on the floor with the soft glow of a fire burning in each other's eyes. I believe in passion and trueness.

I believe in the romance of warm summer nights spent under the stars and snowy days in which you have to hold each other close to keep warm.

Love is embracing one's faults and talents. Love is uplifting and complicated. Love is not about saying, but doing. Love is mysterious, yet open. To be in love requires great sacrifice, and patience. Love makes you laugh, and cry. Love is not about sex, but sex should be about love. Love is complete tolerance, but not total acceptance.

I believe in working out differences and learning to compromise with one another. I believe in the sacrament of marriage and the commitment that comes with it. I believe in fighting through hardship and temptation for love. I believe that love has no age limit, though maturity and understanding comes with time.

How have I come to this conclusion? Because over time I've given much thought to love and the true feelings that I've had. And although it may not work out in the end, for now, I know what love is and am happy to have found it.

Maria Perossa

Maria Perossa