To Know True Love, You Must Also Know Heartbreak

Being in love is arguably the greatest thing that can happen to someone; there is nothing better than finding someone who completes you. When you meet this person, you won't remember how you ever lived without him or her. Being in love, you transform into someone new.

Every day of your life suddenly becomes the best day when you're with this person. When you hear his or her name, you feel butterflies you can't control.

When you see the person, you're able to smile bigger than you thought humanly possible. Any obstacle seems small because you know your love for each other can overcome it.

You trust this person more than any person in your life. That's why you offer something so valuable: your heart. You trust this person with every secret. With tears in your eyes, you share dark secrets from your past that still haunt you, and your partner accepts you, regardless.

Being in love is the happiest state in which to live. You have someone who is constantly looking out for you, everywhere you are. Every love song you hear suddenly reminds you of this, and you used to make fun of your friends who were so were touched by love.

There is a reason for all of the songs and the movies, and there is a reason why people want to have it so badly. It is all it's cracked up to be, and anyone who wants to argue that has probably never been in true love.

But, to fully experience all that love entails requires you to see the other end of the spectrum.

You will never appreciate love as much as those who have full experienced it, and you will never believe in its power until your world turns completely upside down with two words: "It's over." When you get your heart broken, no amount of alcohol or talking about it, or anything else can make you feel better.

To love is to become vulnerable to the awful things it can bring: crying yourself to sleep every night, overanalyzing, listening to the most depressing music ever, talking about it to anyone who will listen.

Being heartbroken feels like everything in your life is frozen, like you are stuck in a black hole, falling. Just when you think it will stop, something worse happens.

Along with not recognizing your own reflections, as it takes everything in you to get through a day and look somewhat presentable, you no longer recognize your ex.

Despite everything this person did to you, you would do anything for him or her, if need be. That's the thing about love; when you find yourself in this desperate dark hole, and you still have the ability to love, that's how you know love is so much stronger than heartbreak.

I hate seeing people who get dumped because I know how hard it is, and I know there is nothing I can say or do to make the pain go away. But, what I can say is that one day, you will see clearly. One day, that pain you feel every will stop. One day, things will be better.

To fully know love and appreciate love, you must first know heartbreak. When people get hurt, they decide they never want to feel that low again; they close themselves off to love.

They bury themselves in work and school and everything else to avoid ever opening up to someone so fully. It's okay to stay protected.

It's true that someone will never know you the way your first love did because first loves (specifically, first heartbreaks) change people.

You come to learn about how naïve you were with your first love. But, if you're open to it, you will love again. When you get hurt, you will learn to appreciate the future more.

To know love, we must know heartbreak. As much as I wish people never had to feel heartbreak, it's vital to successful relationships. You took the risk once, well aware that this could happen. Looking back, it is still the best thing that ever happened to you, despite the pain.

Love and heartbreak are on two ends of the same spectrum; to know one, you must know the other. Know that if you are feeling sad and in the dark, things can only get better and brighter.