Doesn’t the word itself do something to you?

Love.

It might make you feel warm and whole inside, cause you to hug someone a little tighter or kiss them a little longer. Or maybe it’ll punch you in the stomach and you’ll be paralyzed with memories of a grueling heartbreak. Or maybe you’re like me and have never experienced romantic love, so you think of your best friend letting you finish her tiramisu after you’ve already devoured your own.

Regardless of what love evokes in you, it is an undeniable truth that the concept of love is rich in interpretation. There are books, plays, movies, songs, you name it, dedicated solely to giving an audience a glimpse of what love is. But I can’t seem to decide if it’s really worth it.

What does all our love amount to?

If I spent 6 months collecting stamps, at the end of the 6 months I would have a very impressive stamp collection to show for it. But if I spent 6 months pursuing romantic love, what would I have to show for it in the end?

Whether it’s an illusion created to distract people from the existential dread that accompanies existence or a chemical concoction of pheromones we evolved to increase our species, chances of survival are not the musings that require my immediate attention. I just want to know if real people would consider their previous relationships worth the pain they caused. I agree companionship sounds like a swell time but is the pursuance of possible reciprocity worth the inevitable heartbreak that can occur at any moment along the journey? Is the feeling of being in love really great enough to justify gambling your emotional well being?

And if my heart shatters and my world collapses, will I be willing to do it all over again?