I don't understand love yet. I don't know why it works and sometimes it doesn't. But I feel like I know something about it.

I know that a relationship is about being a team. Relationships are about love, trust, friendship, and honesty. I think the last three come before love. Without those three things, trust, love, and friendship, a relationship will never have love.

I feel like our world is rapidly changing in the romance department compared to where it used to be. In the classic movies like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember the level of commitment from the guys is unbelievable. With that being said, I am not trying to blame the men for all of the problems with relationships now a days, but there are instances where it appears that the girl is trying a little more than the guy.

What happened to actual dating? What happened to dates where the guy pays for the girl because that is just what's right? What happened to meeting the parents, not because things are finally serious, but because it's respectful?

I see some women, even young adults, that are convinced they will never be "ok" again. The movies we watch show us all of the good. The happy endings and all of that. They don't show us the constant struggle of feeling like you aren't good enough or that someone is going to come and ruin it like a tornado in a trailer park.

I watch as the people I love get into these relationships that are hurtful and unhealthy. They say it's love, "he loves me", "he would never cheat on me," but they're blinded by love.

Society has gotten away from the small things...I look at the relationships around me and think, wow. Some relationships are completely online, never having met in person once. Some people meet online and then end up being together. Great! Good job, but there's something special about meeting in person, having that connection and building from there.

Even the small things, such as a quick hand squeeze when walking around, a hug when everything seems wrong, or even a smile will do bigger things than the expensive things.

I want the kind of love that my parents have. I want that unwavering trust and honesty, as well as the friendship that is supposed to come from this. I want to know that in tough times, I have someone amazing by my side to help me through it.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

This is how love is supposed to be. These verses from the Bible have always inspired me. Love is patient. Love is kind. I think we've lost this in our generation. Society wants everything to be fast. So when things aren't going right, everyone tries to "get it over with" quickly. But love shouldn't be like this. Love should be taken slowly and really thought about. It is such a powerful thing. So don't rush love like we rush everything else. Let it come. Take it slowly and do things right.