[ WP ] Talk to me about love

I am still young, and yet I managed to convince myself that I have experienced love several times towards members of the opposite sex. 
 
 How laughable. 
 
 I know now, despite my youth, that love is n't something that happen all on its own and that it comes from an accumulation of emotional exchanges, however simple they may be. I can say now that I have never loved a boy, man, or other romantic partner. I have had crushes and strong infatuations, but never true love. 
 
 Because that's what counts, right? True love. It's what all the fairy tales and love stories are talking about. It's about sacrifice, and affection, and it's about giving a damn about someone other than yourself. So, no, I have never experienced true love in a romantic setting, but I do know what it is, because I feel it towards the people I care about most in my life. 
 
 I love my parents, for having raised me, for being there when I needed their support, for telling me the things I did n't necessarily want to hear but needed to, for kicking my ass when I deserved it, for giving a damn. 
 
 I love my dogs, for showing me what unconditional affection was, for giving me a reason to smile even on the worst day, for being happy just because they could, for allowing me to feel the grief of losing something you love, for giving a damn. 
 
 I love my best friends, for listening to everything I tell them, for being a shoulder for me to cry on, for telling me I'm being stupid, for showing me how awesome I can be, for fighting with me and letting everything be fine again the next day, for giving a damn. 
 
 I love myself, for greeting each day with an honest smile, for liking myself despite my faults, for taking responsibility for the creation of those faults, for caring about the happiness and well-being of others, for pulling through those dark days, for giving a fucking damn. 
 
 So here's all I have to say: go out there, and give a damn.
