Everyone has different meanings whenever it comes to love. People define love as someone who you truly care about, such as your parents. Others define love as something you can’t live without-for me that is pizza. I can’t imagine a sick world without pizza in it. And then we have people define love as an indescribable feeling-which is what I believe is the true definition of love. Each individual has different perspectives whenever it comes to life, especially love. We all describe it in different ways which is what I find so fascinating. One thing to keep in mind though whenever it comes to love is that you can decide how you want to define it and when you will find it, no one else.

Before you start to get very confused with that statement, let me explain. Everyone finds love at different times. Oddly enough, most of us will experience this feeling at the start of birth. Your mother carries you inside her stomach for 9 months. Once you have been released from her womb, you then will be held by your mother as well as your other loved ones. As you grow up, you see other people show affection towards each other in different ways. You see couples holding hands, you see family members hug one another whenever it comes to saying goodbye, and you even see people kissing their dogs. It’s cute until you see these people put their dogs into baby carriers… That’s when you know they don’t have children.

Although we normally discover the first meaning of love at the start of birth, we all find different times whenever it comes to finding a partner. This is when it starts to get tricky because others can find their love at the age of 16 or at the age of 25. Now this is the part where I can get a little frustrated because others think that whenever it comes to love, there is a certain way you feel love and there is a certain time when you will find love. Feeling and time is completely unique for everyone and there should be no “restrictions” whenever it comes to it. I know many happy couples that are still together and they have met at the age of 14. I also know many other happy couples that met at the age of 27. I dislike it whenever I hear parents having conversations with their kids about their relationship. If their child is in relationship, the parent would start to question it. “Are you sure it’s going to last sweetie? You are only X years old and still have your life ahead of you.” Or when a parent’s child ISN’T in a relationship and then they question that. “Are you dating anyone? It’s probably time for you to start seeing someone before you turn X years old.” You see, there isn’t much of a difference between those two questions. No matter what scenario that person is in, they are always limited to love. “It’s great that you have found someone, but maybe you should wait until maybe someone else comes along” or “Oh you aren’t seeing anyone? Well maybe you should be tied down soon before its too late.” Do you see my frustration here?

I know I am only 21 years old and I haven’t experience much with my life yet. I am still in college and don’t have a big girl job. But whenever it comes to love, why should I be told what to do with that feeling? If my friend has fallen in love with the awkward 8th grade boy that sat behind her in math class and she is still happy 2 years later with him, shouldn’t we be happy for her? Instead of lecturing her saying that “she has so much ahead of her”? Or what about my friend who is a 21 year old college student who has not found anyone yet, shouldn’t we be happy for her if she is just simply taking her time until she finds the right one?

Everyone has a different love story and everyone’s story is unique. YOU are the only one that can define the term and can decide when it will happen. Don’t let anyone set restrictions on your happiness.