How Do You Know if You Are In Love?

Many young women have asked their mothers this question, "How do you know if you are in love?"

A mother might proceed to give a long talk about real love. She might relate that real love starts with puppy love. This stage of love is evidenced by the squirrelly feeling you get when that special someone walks in the room. You feel giddy, your hands get sweaty, and you can't quite get your mouth to form actual words.

The next stage is called lust. The symptoms of this stage are evident in the fact that you cannot keep your hands off of each other. There are kisses when you arrive. There are kisses when you leave and there are lots of kisses in between. This, combined with puppy love and time, can work into a loving relationship.

First comes love...then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. Her third stage might be family love. You feel love when you walk down the aisle. You feel love when you buy your first house. You feel love when you make up after a big fight. A big love happens on the day your first child is born. This continues with the birth of each subsequent child, as well as, each of their accomplishments. "The way to be a good dad is to love your child's mother". This goes both ways.

Then, you enter into empty nest love. This includes learning to love each other again. All those family years might take a toll on the love relationship. It is a lot of fun to rediscover each other. Trips and adventures, long talks about the future, goal-setting, and learning how to take care of each other.

The final stage of real love might be "The Golden Years" love. This is the stage when you realize what real love is. It is the thought of dying and not getting to spend time with this special person that you have spent 50 plus years learning how to love. Worse yet is the thought that they might die first and you will be left alone. Real love happens when you care for each other for a lifetime and would rather be dead than live without them.

The answer to the question is that real love comes in stages and it takes time to develop. It needs life experiences to grow. Love requires hard work to nurture and care for it. It usually doesn't happen overnight. Real love involves true commitment and patience. All in all, it is worth it in the end.