Love is

Love is a labor. It's sleeves rolled up, hands down in the dirt, scraped knees, sweat drenched t-shirt, weary head on pillow kind of labor. Love is an effort. It's an all-in, one hundred percent, never giving up and never backing down effort. Love is a sacrifice. It's a cross bearing your pride, a grave holding your vanity, a burial of self. It's many precious seeds planted, with careful watering, that bloom into even more beautiful flowers. Love is a journey with many different seasons. It's the bone-chilling, frost-ridden winter, when the darkness seems to last just a little longer than the light. But it never does. Light always comes. The sun always rises, with just enough warmth to get by. Love is that light— the dawn. It's the relief of springtime, the breath of fresh air, the hope of renewal and new life and sunlight's eager return. It's the heartbeat of summer, the crash of waves, the sweet and salty smell of earth and warm skin. It's the rosy cheeks and long nights and that feeling of being wholly and truly alive, with every fiber of your being on fire and alert and never wanting to let go of the brightness. And love is autumn. Fall leaves dancing onto sidewalks, leaving little reminders of all that the earth has endured that year, all that you, too, have endured. What once was in full bloom has now been shed to make room for more. Love is layers upon layers— hours, days, weeks, months, years— of commitment, endurance, loyalty, and trust. It's bonfires and marshmallows and reminiscing on all that summer brought to you, taught you, shaped you into; it's laughter, lots of laughter, and looking towards winter with a brave face and warm heart, hands clasped, ready for another season. Ready for another layer, another year, another cold winter, spring blossom, summer celebration, autumn lull. Love endures all seasons, all hardships, all things. Love is a risk. Love is an action. Love is a promise. 

Love is a gift that equally blesses both the giver and the receiver. Love says yes even when no is easier. Love says keep going when there's nothing you can see ahead. Love says "together, we can" while life feels out of control. Love turns selfish into selfless, hopeless into hopeful, and dust into life. It turns winter into spring, spring into summer, summer into fall. It turns labor into fruit, effort into reward, sacrifice into blessing. 

Love is the most beautiful paradox. It is both the most vulnerable you will ever be yet also the most known you will ever feel. It is the most difficult challenge you will ever face with the most breathtaking view you have ever seen or could ever dream of. It is meaning. It is purpose. Love is life.

And when you experience love, true love, you will believe in it. You will fight for it. You will labor endlessly, give all your heartfelt effort, sacrifice all you have. When you have felt the kiss of the Creator, you will be changed. And then when you fall in love, within the confines of humanity, you will taste heaven on earth. But because you've felt that kiss, love's one true kiss, you will know that's it's only a taste. And together, you will long for, live for, and invite others to join you for more. 

Love is life.