Mandy Len Catron: Falling in love is the easy part

Section 2:

So the story that the media told about the 36 questions was that there might be a shortcut to falling in love. This is a very appealing story, because falling in love feels amazing, but it's also terrifying. The moment you admit to loving someone, you admit to having a lot to lose, and it's true that these questions do provide a mechanism for getting to know someone quickly, which is also a mechanism for being known, and I think this is the thing that most of us really want from love: to be known, to be seen, to be understood.

But I think when it comes to love, we are too willing to accept the short version of the story. The version of the story that asks:, "Are you still together?", and is content with a yes or no answer. So, if you want it, the short version of the story of my relationship is this: we are still together, and I am so glad.

But falling in love is not the same thing as staying in love. Falling in love is the easy part. But what I have instead is the chance to make the choice to love someone, and the hope that he will choose to love me back, and it is terrifying, but that's the deal with love.