Valentine’s Day, when spoken about, brings up different images like flowers, heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates, and a winged baby named Cupid carrying a bow and arrow. Every year at this time people are experiencing a timeless emotion that has driven conquerors into defeat, turned the hopeless into hopefuls, and transformed the lives of everyone it touches. The emotion that is being expressed here is the emotion that has been the subject of literature, art, and countless songs. This emotion is love.

Love comes in various forms.

It can come in the form of a friend or a relative who lends an understanding ear in your times of trouble, it comes in the form of self-acceptance, it comes in the form of a partner who tells you how special you are each and every day, and it even comes in the form of a furry, pint-sized creature who awaits your arrival from school just so you can serve its daily helping of Meow Mix or Dog Chow.

But even though love is a skilled shape-shifter that takes many forms, it is something that covers its arms around an unsuspecting someone each and every day.

Many people experience different emotions when it comes to the topic of love- heartbreak, joy, happiness, sadness, and warmth are all just a few of the emotions one experiences when discussing the topic of love.

However, there are certain times in a young person’s life when they are wondering whether or not they are actually experiencing this thing called love at all. ‘How do I know if I am really in love?’ is a question that many young people, along with many adults around the world, are often asking themselves. To be perfectly honest, there are certain ways to tell if you are in love. Each way is a part of realizing the power of love and pondering on how essential it is to human existence.

One question you may ask yourself when pondering the topic of love is, ‘Does this person make me feel better when life is hard?’ Emotional availability is something each and every person looks for in a potential soul mate.

When you are around someone who can make you feel better just by making a joke or by saying something clever, it is a clear sign that you have a connection with this person whether it is romantic or friendly.

People who are in love understand and connect with one another on a certain level. They feel completely serene and at peace when they are together. They know that they can tell each other anything without any awkwardness or intimidation. Someone who makes you feel as though you can turn to them whenever you’re down in the dumps is also a very good friend. A physical attraction for a friend is also an indicator that you love them.

Physical attraction is another way to tell if you are in love with someone, though it shouldn’t be the complete reason. Intense physical attraction is often the result of lust, which can be mistaken for love.

Lust is not love. For teens, feelings of attraction are still new and since pop-culture often advertises love and lust as a package it’s easy to get the two confused. But despite the fact that there are many people who have their own definition of what love is, it is also something that is very difficult.

A common misconception about love is that it is always easy. Even though love is a beautiful thing and it comes in various forms, it’s not always simple. There are times where, even though they love and care for one another, two people can have disagreements.

Another question you may ask yourself about a significant other is, ‘Will they still care for me even though we may argue sometimes?’ People are not perfect. Sometimes we make mistakes. Two people who argue, even though they may disagree at some moment or another, realize that they cannot let their true feelings for one another go away.

Even though there may be conflict, they realize that there are solutions they can use to resolve their issues. They make-up and realize that they are mature enough to know that nothing is more important than expressing your true feelings. And that’s okay!

One last question you may ask when it comes to pondering if you’re in love or not, and many people think this is the most important one of all, is, ‘Do they love me for me?’ Love is a positive feeling. It should not feel bad.

Love allows you to be your best self, even when you don’t feel like your best self. It’s the total surrender of your heart to another person. A person who accepts you for who you are knows exactly what makes you happy, cares about what makes you sad, and takes an interest in your hopes and dreams. A person who loves you accepts you for who you are and not what you can do for them.

Love is something that fills our lives today just as it did in the time periods of Homer, William Shakespeare, and Albert Einstein. It is something that is always relevant. It is something that is always needed. It is something that we will always have. Love, to this observer, is many things. It is something that will always shine like a lighthouse, continuing to give hope to those wavering souls who question its existence.

Knowing that you’re in love is a great feeling and, once you’ve realized you’ve found that special someone, it’s a feeling that’s worth spreading around.