To Love or To Be Loved

I often sit and think about the love stories and love lives of people in movies, books, songs and in my real life. It becomes a chain of thoughts of one thought leading to another. But it's always a reoccurring thought about the concept of, "To Love or To Be Loved." I don't think I'm alone on this thought when I start to wonder if I'll ever meet someone to love and be loved. To meet that someone who is patient and willing to grow with me. To be able to be fully comfortable that we let each other into our weird little worlds. And to find someone to share each other's idiosyncrasies. I think about it a lot. Then I think about the people who are together. Those who are just starting. Those who have a crush on one another but ignore it. Those who say, "I Do" and get married. Those growing old together but always reminding each other of why they fell in love the first place. Those starting a family and preparing for the one on the way. Those who are about to confess their feelings. Those who are forgiving each other and sharing a kiss to make amends. Everyone finds someone in the end. 

I think about how long it takes for someone to find their someone. What about the people who have never experienced being approached or often not sought out. They're mostly told, "they'll show up when you least expect it," or "you should put yourself out there more." What about the ones who are never someone's crush. Never someone to pursue or ask out on a date. What about the ones who don't find someone. I frequently think about this mainly because it's a fear of mine. What about the ones that end up alone. Ones who end up lonely and wanting to be with someone. 

I know there's people who are alone but not lonely. People that don't mind whether or not they have someone. That some people find comfort and peace in their solitude. Which I admire. I love my alone time and my peace but there's much I want to share with someone in the future. And I know relationships have their problems and can bring negative experiences and heartbreak. But that's whole different rant. I'm talking about the relationship where they grow and accept each other's uglies. Do some people live to love and be loved? They probably live to possibly do both. Or live to only live up to love and not able to fulfill the other part. 

Now I understand there's many different forms of love. Like some people may seem to live to only to love but they are loved by their friends and families and even pets. Or even the other way around. Some may seem to only live to be loved but love their family, friends and pets.  Which in that sense I completely agree. Maybe someone does live to possibly do both. To love and be loved. Maybe you can't love without being loved and vice versa. You can't be loved without loving. I'm running around in circles here. But "To Loved or Be Loved" in the sense of experiencing or giving love on an intimate, personal, vulnerable level. In the sense of loving or being loved by someone who knows you like you know you. What about the ones who don't find that but have a growing longing and ache for it?

-maryl0u