BY KIRANDEEP SINGH / DAGLIGTALE STAFF WRITER

Love is an abstract emotion that most people describe as universally good, pure, and warm. It practically begs one to think that an individual cannot live up to their true purpose without having a soulmate or partner in life. A lack of love is where emptiness starts and ends in a person. Our generation is always left wondering and thinking about when they will meet “the one;” whether it is at Augustana during their student years, or years down the road with a person they met in elementary school.

But how true does this notion truly ring? Humans are naturally social beings and we crave companionship; some would say “true love” is essential in this process and must be found with a romantic aura. This causes some people to jump in and out of relationships because they do not understand how to be alone. They believe that they need someone in order to truly be happy, so they become dependent on others rather than looking within themselves first. When you are in love and it is gets taken away, you are left feeling cold without any sort of warmth.

This is why when one cannot find love, they are continuously searching, or are stuck in a static place in their life. They cease to feel any emotion and feeling because love is the foundation for all other emotions to root from. This is why some people describe their life as shades of grey before they met their significant other. They claim that colours became vibrant and the stars shone a little brighter. What some people fail to understand is that love is more than just a romantic partner or a fuzzy feeling that you feel when you’re around your crush. It starts with friendship, yet unlike relationships, it does not end as fast or easily. Your soulmate does not have to be the person you are romantically involved with, yet because of our idealistic society this is what many people believe. Your real soulmate is the person who is by your side through hardships, trial and error, fights that made you want to yank your hair out, and someone who you would call your best friend.

Your best friend will not wake up one day and decide they do not love you anymore. It is a bond that becomes blood. It is born from a place of honour, loyalty, and forgiveness. That’s what true love should really be.

(Originally published December 11, 2019)