Looking For Love - What Does Love Look Like?

Love - we can't see it, but we sure as hell know when we've lost it.

How are we supposed to find something, if we don't even know what it looks like?

How would we know if we'd found it or not, and even if we did, how would we know whether it's even real?

Love isn't a Louis Vuitton handbag (well....for some, maybe) it doesn't come with a set of identifying marks to let you know if it's the real thing, or just some cheap, crappy knockoff. There's no special watermark or engraving, no authenticity certificate or guarantee. The only way to identify love is by feel. OK, so NOT that dissimilar to the LV handbag after all!

We've already established that love is something you feel as opposed to see, so when trying to identify love what you are looking at is your feelings. Here are some examples of what love does and doesn't look like. If you substitute the word feel for love, you'll quickly see what I mean.

What Love Looks Like:

Love looks like happiness

Yes, loving and being loved is a happy place. It makes the world look that little bit, or even a lot brighter. It means waking up with a smile and being able to take the day's challenges and rewards in stride, knowing that a special someone is around to share that with you.

Love looks like being glad to be you

Loving someone and being loved in return gives you a freedom and a joy in being you. It's that wonderful knowledge that who you are, just as you are, is what puts the light in another person's day. That's a great feeling!

Love looks like the best job you ever had

I believe that love takes work, but not hard work. Doing things for someone you care about literally becomes a labor of love. Working on nurturing the relationship becomes a joy not a chore.

What Love Doesn't Look Like:

Love doesn't look like sadness

Kind of a no brainer really, but you might be surprised how many miserable people there are out there that swear blind they are in love. Loving and being loved fills your heart with joy and happiness, not sadness and pain.

Love doesn't look like being someone you are not

If you are not loved for the you who you are, then what value is that love anyway? If you need to change the essence of who you are as a person in order for someone to love you, then that love is only going to last while you can maintain that facade. Not my idea of a good time, that's for sure.

Love doesn't look like a battlefield

Life has it's moments that don't go as smoothly as we might like them to and love is no exception. Love doesn't look like a battlefield, or a war zone or the emergency room on a busy Saturday night. Love is two people working together to overcome their obstacles, whether self-made or outside of their sphere of control. Love is a partnership not a competition.

Love is different things to different people but I believe the basics are the same - being who you are and being loved for who you are and returning that feeling to someone else. Issues arise, life gets in the way sometimes but knowing that you have each others backs, means you can face anything together.