I’m a hopeless romantic. There’s no shame in it, really, but it’s the reason that I’m always having to tell myself to be careful and not to pour out too much of my heart. Not to sound pessimistic or cynical, but I believe that us hopeless romantics get screwed-over the most in this day and age. We love to give love, and sometimes we forget that our love isn’t endless. On the other hand, we seem to see love everywhere we go - in the stars, in the snow, in the music we listen to. We capture all that love, but we have to let it out somehow! And being the hopeless romantics that we are, we’ve probably already come up with some sort of outlandish imaginary situation that we think will actually happen and that’s how we are going to show our love! You hopeless romantics can all agree that those imaginary situations rarely ever play out, but somehow things still seem to work. This article is for anyone who isn’t a hopeless romantic, maybe this will help you understand why some of us seem insane. And this is also for those of you who may relate a little too much - know you are not alone, because there is nothing wrong with life as a hopeless romantic!

Being a hopeless romantic means I’m always the first one to use the word “love” in any relationship I get into - which is usually (and should be!) a big step in a relationship. The thing is, I’m never lying, I really do love this person that I’ve gotten so close to! Unfortunately, that’s seemed to be an issue for me more than not, because other people are a lot more hesitant than I to use such language. I love words, and I love using my words to build up and show my affection. Yet I always feel so restrained when I genuinely love a person, because I can never think of another way to get that idea across! When I do end up using the word “love”, then I always feel the need to justify and explain why I used it. But being in a relationship with a hopeless romantic does have its perks - we always know just what presents to give, and we love giving them! We love reminding you how much we think you’re the greatest person in the world. We notice little details about you that make us smile. Everything always seems to be perfect.

Except, as soon as everything isn’t perfect anymore, it’s kind of a trainwreck. Everything hurts more for the hopeless romantics. I think that’s where the hopeless part comes from. I’m not going to delegitimize heartbreak because, let’s face it: It’s never pleasant for anyone. But for the hopeless romantics, we are usually caught way off guard when it comes to breakups or fights. In one moment, you may think that your relationship is going so well, and in the next second, your S.O. may drop the “I’m not ready for this. I think we should be just friends.” And then, like, you’ll probably spend the next month as a huge mess. The worst part is that it’ll look like you’re handling the situation really well and that you’re super understanding, but that’s because you’re still in love. I want all my fellow romantics to know that things are going to be okay! Let yourself hurt, but don’t let yourself stop loving.

I think a big issue with breakups, for the hopeless romantic, is that singleness seems like the worst thing in the whole world. Let’s face it, you loved showing your S.O. affection, and now what are you going to do? (Personally, I’ve found that my family puppy loves snuggling so that’s how I’ve been getting by, in case you’re wondering.) Us hopeless romantics probably get into more sticky situations, but it’s because we just want that connection with another person! Take it from me, though, don’t try to force a relationship. You’ll probably just end up going through another cycle of heartbreak.

Usually, we associate the “hopeless romantic” quality with romantic relationships (it’s probably the word “romantic”, isn’t it?), but the truth is that it can work its way into relationships with friends and family as well. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to comfort my friends. I really don’t mind that I have quite a few friends who feel comfortable to come to me when they are in need. And the reason for this is because I’m usually the friend that asks, “How are you doing?” and “Do you want to go grab a coffee and just talk?” I’m the one who is always telling my friends to take mental-health breaks, and I’m the one who makes my sister pose for spontaneous photoshoots just because I like to see her laugh and smile.

You know who else has recently benefitted from me being a hopeless romantic? Me. That’s right, my friends, you can channel that romantic energy for yourself! I like to take hikes in the woods around my college, and I find myself admiring things like animal tracks or how the sun shines through the trees. When I’m outside at night, sometimes I’ll stop and just stare at the stars. Another thing I did recently was attended a musical at my college, all by myself. I took myself on a date! I’m such a sucker for musicals (Is that the hopeless romantic in me?) so I enjoyed the time I spent with my attention solely on the show.

Being a hopeless romantic isn’t all that bad! The world seems brighter to us and love runs through our veins. But to those of you who may feel more hopeless than romantic: Don’t lose hope! Keep dancing to those cheesy love songs. Keep watching those Hallmark movies every Christmas season. Keep daydreaming. Keep loving - please, never stop loving. The truth is that the world needs more lovers, so embrace your inner hopeless romantic.