The Defining Relationship (thanks ck)

As a precaution, this is going to be another (somewhat) introspective blog post, so if you are not feeling it... I should be back to my old self by Wednesday.

We all have the potential to fall in love a thousand times in our lifetime; it's easy. The loves I've had carried different emotions, been at drastically different times in my life, and each time, he/it meant something to me. But there are certain people you love who do something else; they define how you classify what love is and what love is supposed to feel like. Although you may meet four or five of these people in your lifetime, there is always that one person you love who becomes that definition. This person unknowingly sets the template for what you will always love about other people, even if some of those qualities are self-destructive and unreasonable. The individual who embodies your your personal definition of love, however, does not really exist. The person is real and the feelings are real - but you create the context. The person who defines your understanding of love is not inherently different than anyone else, and they are often just the person you happen to meet when you really, really want to love someone. This is a losing battle for you because for the rest of your life, this person will control how you feel about everyone else.