Love is such a strong word, and it is also so frequently and widely used that we often get confused, mistaking loving someone with being in love with her. If you're not 100% sure you can tell the difference, read on.
What Does Loving Someone Mean?
To begin to understand the difference between loving someone and being in love with her, we need to attempt to define the two. To love someone means to deeply care about her, to want what's best for her, to be willing to make sacrifices in order to help her in any way that you can.
Like a mother cares about her child unconditionally, like you want what's best for your siblings and go out of your way to assist your friends whenever you feel it's necessary, love asks for nothing in return.
Being in love is a different story, however. When you're in love, you don't just want the best for your partner, you admire her and you're passionate about whatever she is passionate about. While love is unconditional, being in love is a lot more selfish: you desperately want her to reciprocate the feeling; you lose sleep when you don't hear her voice and your heart sinks when she fails to call.
Being in love is not comfortable either. Your heart races when you catch a glimpse of her, your mouth dries and you lose the ability to think rationally- instead, you stutter, you daydream and lose focus because she is the only thing on your mind. Where love may just be platonic, being in love makes you want to be as close to your object of desire as possible. You crave her and worship the land she walks on, you even turn blind to her negative sides, adoring even her worst attributes just because they are part of her. When you love someone, you see those sides but choose to let the good traits of someone win because you know they outweigh the negative ones.
Being in love is intoxicating. The butterflies in your stomach are a sweet torture, your racing heart is the strongest reminder you're alive. But it's a fleeting feeling every time. For some, being in love lasts for years, for others, it's a matter of days before they fall out of love. But if you are really lucky and willing to work together towards building a strong relationship, however, what follows is real, profound and rewarding kind of love which will stay with you forever and guide you towards a happy life.