Love costs—time, energy, effort.

I have spent years trying to figure out what love really is. It’s something people often get wrong. Most of the time, we confuse lust with love—companionship, happiness, comfort, or even convenience. Every feeling that feeds our satisfaction is often mistaken for love. I grew up witnessing love. The love I saw between my parents was something I thought would last forever—but it ended anyway. And in that moment, I lost hope in love. As a kid, I thought to myself: If the love I used to see between my married parents ended after more than two decades, what are the odds for me and the person I’ll talk to in the future? Eventually, that future came. He  came. And he changed something in me. I was flabbergasted. A person I had only known for months managed to shift my entire perception of love. I know I’m vulnerable at times. I cry easily. I sympathize a lot. I have a weak heart—but a strong mind. I don't get influenced easily. Never in my life has my perception changed in a sn...