Love! A human being can not live without love. First and foremost love for yourself. Love is truly what makes the world go round, what breaks us, rebuilds us, and fills our lives with hope. Our first love is often felt from our Mothers. If we are lucky, we will feel love not only from our Mothers but from our fathers, grandparents, siblings, friends, children of our own and ultimately partners. Some love is organic, primal, unconditional right from the start, as such with a child. But what screws us up most is the image we have in our heads about how love in relationships are supposed to be or look. Love doesn't look like it is always betrayed...blissful, effortless, perfect harmony. Love is complete madness, it's fierce, it's opening up every wound and scar, it's raw, it's filled with lessons, it is a gift that gives us opportunities to grow, evolve, love, and be loved in return. The greatest relationships are the ones that we never expect, challenge our every view, that are all wrong and right at the same time. If we can look at every relationship as an opportunity to become a better person then no relationship is wasted. Ideally when you come out of it, you are not be the same person that walked into it. Love takes courage, understanding, and falling in love with yourself first then sharing that love with someone who appreciates and accepts you and after all that, someday all your broken pieces just might be put back together. True love isn't found it is built one moment, one word, one gesture at a time. Starting tomorrow, I will take you through the 5 stages of Love. If you are in a relationship, I suggest reading the steps with your partner each day and if you are single you can begin to gather anything that resonates with you for when you choose to begin a relationship. I am certainly not the expert on Love and relationships but Love does fascinate me and I have experienced all sides of the complicated, whirlwind that Love can bring. I only hope to share some secrets that I have learned along the way that may help you and your quest towards true love.

* To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow- this is a human offering that can border on miraculous. -Elizabeth Gilbert