Heartblog: The Three Great Loves

Carrie of Sex and The City once asked, “How many great loves do we get in life?” 

I think we get three.

The First Love: 

That first kiss, first late-night phone call, first everything. The one you naively think can keep your heart and soul forever young. The one that you plan a life with, something you cannot even fathom, because you are convinced you will always exist in a world where you live with your parents. Your biggest concern is whether or not your folks will let you stay out late enough on Friday night to feed the need to have your face and body smushed directly against your first love’s. The kind of love that gives you goosebumps when it is good and introduces you to Ryan Adams' records when it goes away. When this first love ends, you realize why sad songs exist. You have your first taste of disappointment, the first realization that not everything in the world is magic, that love can leave, and it can leave you empty. 

The Lesson/Obsession Love:

You love this person more than they love you. You will do whatever it takes to make it work because you are convinced that this is the "great love of your life". It is electric. It is obsessive. It is every single heightened emotion on the planet. Your favorite line is “Love is hard, but it is worth it.” You lose sleep, you lose weight, you lose yourself into the relationship. You stop seeing your friends. You stop calling your parents. You like the things they like. You want the things they want. When they leave in a super dramatic fashion, your entire world is pulled apart. You have lost them, you have lost you. You are convinced that you will never love anyone more. You are broken. You are convinced that you will never let anyone into your life ever again, to avoid the searing pain that the loss of this love has burned into your heart. 

The Grown-up Love:

A sense of calm comes with this love. There is open communication and a sense of trust and acceptance. You don’t know what the future holds, but you know that neither of you can see the end. You accept eachother's flaws and are not afraid to admit your own. You glow. This love is a lesson, you are constantly learning and communicating with eachother about what you need and want. Even in the roughest times, it seems easy. You sleep. You eat. You see your friends, your entire life isn’t consumed by this love. It is elevated because of it.

What do you guys think? How many great loves do you get?