Real Love
Hannah Ward
People have many ideas of what real love is. Some believe it’s expensive dinners, designer clothes, jewels. For others it’s a fleeting thing, there for a moment and then gone in the blink of an eye, a mere whisper in the wind. But love is many things. It’s hard to find but very easy to lose. It changes people, some for the better and others even more. It shines a warm light even in the darkest places, the darkest times. Love isn’t about dinners and jewelry or clothes. It’s telling someone they look beautiful with no makeup, when their hair is a mess and they’re only wearing sweatpants or an old T-shirt.
Love isn’t dining in candle light and velvet, but holding each other during a thunderstorm. Using flashlights to see and find each other during a power outage, so not even darkness can separate you. Playing board games, reading next to each on the couch, curling up to watch old, cheesy movies with a bowl of popcorn. Love can be cruel sometimes and can even hurt, even scar the heart. But scars can fade and wounds can heal. Hearts can heal after being broken.
Love feels differently for everyone. For some it’s butterflies in their stomach when they make their partner laugh or smile. It’s getting so nervous during a date that you stutter and blush, but your partner still has a good time. Love comes in many forms. It’s never running out of second chances no matter how many mistakes are made or arguments are had. Wiping down a feverish brow with a cold flannel, being a shoulder to cry on, an ear to talk off, a warm hug waiting after a bad day.
I’m young and have had my heart broken three times thus far. But I’m not going to give up because I know love is out there, somewhere. I just need to find it and when I do, I will do whatever I can to hold onto it.
Bernhardt at the Manz Writing Workshop Registration