As I binge-watched the new season of Orange Is the New Black (which was pretty lame, but that’s a discussion for another day), one idea in particular resonated with me: love is beauty, and love is pain.

And love is both.

To me, the fundamental layer of love is the choice to love. It is a commitment to the highs and the lows, the beauty, and the pain.

The honeymoon phase will come and pass, and you’ll be left with or without that commitment. Love is not a passing feeling, but rather a constant cycle of beauty and pain.

When you love someone, you love all of them. Every piece of them becomes a piece you choose to accept and appreciate, or to reject and dismiss. It’s the same idea for every experience you go through. Inevitably, there are going to be moments in your relationship that you aren't very fond of. But these moments come to you as a choice. You have to decide to accept or reject those moments as a part of your relationship.

Think of your relationship as a house. Love is the foundation of this house. Your house will endure rain, wind, heat, cold, and so many different kinds of hardships. But the foundation, the love you have for the people in your life, is what keeps the house standing tall and strong throughout the storms.

There will be storms. There will be arguments, resentments, and frustrations between you and the person you love most in this world.

But when you love that person, you will sacrifice so much for them. You will do everything in your power to make them happy.

And, most importantly, you will fight for them, and just because you fight with someone does not mean you can’t fight for them.

Love is rare. Finding that one person that makes you feel happiness you never knew existed, who destroys all your doubts and fears, and allows you to be your complete self without any reservations, is such a beautiful blessing. It should not be taken for granted.

Love is hard. Giving all of yourself to someone and trusting them to take care of your heart is something that is so difficult to accomplish. Accepting all of someone, even their flaws, is equally important.

But sometimes, love isn’t what you expect it to be. The person you fell in love with may disappoint you and your expectations. But it’s up to you whether a moment of pain is worth the beauty that will eventually come with it.

When you love someone, the beauty will always emerge out of the pain.

You will get over that argument. You will settle that disagreement. And you will see the beauty of the person that you love amidst the pain that comes with any human relationship.

Relationships take work, and they sure don’t always stay in the honeymoon phase. But love is so worth it.

The beauty of love, the happiness that comes with giving your heart to the one you care so much about and having them treasure yours, that’s what makes every ounce of pain worth the beauty it creates.