The Branches of Love

Image source: commons.wikimedia.org 

Lately I've been thinking about what I consider to be the "branches" of love. For instance, a couple of the more simple branches include passion and infatuation, and a couple of the deeper ones include respect and companionship. Based on what I've learned and observed about love, if a relationship involves all the different branches of love, it will be a pretty happy and successful one. 

Let's take a look! 

Infatuation

This is the fluttery, euphoric feeling you get when entering a new relationship with someone you really like. You're in awe of them and think they're the best human on the face of the planet. You experience a lot of stupid grinning and incessant daydreaming. I do believe that it's possible to somewhat sustain this feeling long term with a little effort. You have to keep newness, playfulness and spontaneity alive as much as possible, and if you do that, you can bring those "honeymoon phase" feelings back into the relationship as often as possible.  

Passion & affection

Self-explanatory. This is the physical branch of love. It's the closeness and affection you give to and get from your partner. Showing affection is important in romantic relationships. Sometimes physical contact speaks louder than words alone. 

Comfort

This branch means being able to be yourself around your partner. It means you can talk to them and relax around them. You're not monitoring your every word and action for the sake of trying to gain their approval. You can just be. Relationships should provide comfort and contentment, not fear and judgment.  

Companionship

This branch means being best friends with your partner. You can open up to them, mess around with them, and genuinely enjoy spending time with them. You actually like them as a person. When infatuation wears thin, you need companionship to keep things on track. Companionship runs so much deeper than the honeymoon phase. If there's no genuine connection or companionship underneath infatuation and physical affection, a relationship can't survive.    

Respect

Respect and companionship go hand in hand. If two people admire each other and have mutual respect for each other, that's one of the single best things for their relationship. It used to kind of bother me when I would see older couples who had been married for years not be all "lovey dovey" with each other. I used to think, "So that's what happens when you marry someone. You lose interest in the best part of relationships." But being lovey dovey isn't the best part. Admiring and respecting your partner so much that there's no one else you'd rather be with (even in the midst of fights, diaper changes, individual stresses, general day-to-day dullness, etc.) is the best part. I think that's the part that keeps people together long term.      

Trust

This one is self-explanatory as well. It means you trust your partner and feel physically and emotionally safe with them. Trust isn't always an easy thing in relationships, especially if you've been hurt before. I don't think anyone's heart is ever totally safe. When you love someone, you always risk getting deeply hurt by them. But I read a quote one time that said, "You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough." Sometimes you just have to trust. Trust love. Trust yourself. Trust that no matter what happens, the universe has a plan. Trust that the people who truly care about you will look out for you and do their best to protect your faith in them.  

Commitment

This is the largest and strongest branch of the love tree. Commitment is the desire and willingness to stand by each other through the long haul. This is the branch that leads to marriage and/or long term relationships.

Thanks for reading, and may you find an abundantly fruitful love tree someday. :-)

<3 Madison