True Love: does it really exist?

True Love - a topic that, when introduced in a conversation, is sure to get everyone involved and everyone involved is also sure to have a different opinion on it. One doesn’t really need to meet any requirements to have a valid opinion on the matter; so all opinions are equally valid. However, as True Love isn’t a science, there are only opinions and not facts nor laws.

Views regarding True Love vary greatly. Its existence is a long standing argument with the cynics calling it nothing but a childish fantasy and believers calling it as real as the Sun itself. Among the believers there are further debates regarding which type of love can be considered ‘True’. The romantics claiming Romeo & Juliet as an accurate representation and the not so romantic citing their love for God, family & country.

In its definition, True Love is unconditional and eternal. 

The love we have for our families is most definitely not True Love. Not to misunderstand; we love our families but the question is, “Would we still love them just as much if they weren’t ours?” The answer is honestly, “No”. They are ours and because they’ve been so good to us; we love them but it’s not unconditional. 

Therefore, by definition, it’s not True Love. 

Families often don’t accept us for who we really are. They come to terms with our flaws with time but admittance isn’t the same as acceptance and acceptance isn’t the same as love. They love us, and we love them despite the flaws. Not because of them. Honor killings, fights for land and money, jealously and so much more also aren’t that unheard of.

The stubbornness once found to be endearing, later on becomes overbearing. The brown eyes that once held the galaxies’ stars, are just plain brown later on. The adventurousness once exciting, becomes reckless later on. These are the usual stories one hears when ex-couples are inquired about their past relationships. Many, or rather most, romantic relationships are not eternal. Therefore, again by definition, it’s not True Love.

So does it really exist? If there are so many examples and reasons pointing to the contrary, is it real? The answer is neither yes nor no. It exists for some and doesn’t for others. For those that it exists for, it is different in its form. At times we willingly and illogically give our all for a friend that may not be with us forever. We love God, despite the challenges he puts us through. In our hearts, we still care for and wish the best for someone whose broken our trust many times. 

Families live and laugh together even though they don’t completely understand or agree with each other. So yes it does exist but sometimes it’s not quite as what others have explained it to be like. Like that one dress we see in the store that we just have to buy, even if it’s unreasonably priced or not very practical. That one stuffed toy we can’t part with no matter how old we get. 

In conclusion, True Love isn’t really something one can write an assignment on. It’s not facts, figures or examples. Rather it’s very abstract, much like Picasso’s paintings. Everyone has their own take on it and their own understanding of it. It’s both simple and complicated. But it is very much real for those with the capability to feel it.

- Minahil Khan (Class of 2022)