Somehow our culture has convinced us that falling in love means being absolutely, 100%, ridiculously enraptured with the person we are with.

It is not healthy however to be with someone all the time -- to base your emotions on their's, to feel some sort of obligation to always please them -- and to have them always please you.

It always seems when you are drooling, swooning, insanely in love with someone that nothing can go wrong - but when it does, it seems like your world is going to fall apart.

I'm a romantic, I love love, I love seeing people in love, I love being in love. But love is not in any way synonymous with codependency -- codependency is not love, it's fear of being alone.

It's so much better being on the other side of insane, passionate blind love -- that is not what lasts. What's most important is respect, compassion, knowing that you *truly* love this person because of who they are and not because your brain is raging with improbable romantic ideals - Love is knowing that this may actually be the person that you want to be sitting next to in a rocking chair 50 years down the line.

Love is two people who so wonderful compliment each other - not complete each other.