Where Attraction Ends and Love Begins

As the years pass, the meaning of love has quietly changed for me.

Back in high school, I thought love was all about kilig. Butterflies. Stolen glances. A crush fueled by good looks and surface-level attraction. Love, to me, was something exciting—something that made your heart race for reasons you couldn’t fully explain.

But today, love feels deeper. Heavier. More intentional.

I’ve come to realize that love is commitment. It’s choosing someone—not just when things are easy, but even when they’re not. Even when their breath smells bad. Even when they’re annoying. Even when they’re far from perfect. You stay, because you’re committed.

Love is being willing to accept flaws without keeping score. It’s choosing understanding over judgment. Even when other people see their bad sides, you learn to look past that—because at the end of the day, it’s the two of you who understand each other in ways no one else ever will.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that love is no longer about physical attraction. It’s about emotional connection. About feeling safe enough to be seen, heard, and understood. About choosing someone not just because they look good, but because they feel like home.

If you asked my younger self whether I’d rather love someone or be loved, I would’ve confidently said, “the one I love.” Because what’s the point if only one person feels it, right? It would feel unfair—for them and for me.

But now? I might choose the one who loves me.

Not because I’ve become heartless—okay, maybe just a little selfish. Charot. But because I’ve learned that love can grow. That it’s possible to learn how to love someone over time, especially if they’re willing to show you, consistently, that you matter.

After all, love isn’t just about sparks. It’s about effort. Presence. Proof.

There’s no harm in trying, right?

Because love, at its core, is also a choice. A choice to stay. A choice to try. A choice to risk getting hurt—again and again—because you believe that maybe, just maybe, it’s worth it.

And if you choose that kind of love?

Well… that choice is entirely yours.




au revoir. 😊

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