George Sand once said, “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”
George Sand
And indeed, it is the most powerful, pure, and exhilarating feeling we as humans are capable of experiencing. The butterflies that tickle you in the stomach every time you see that person; the inability to concentrate on anything else because all you could think about was that one person—their smile, their touch, the warmth they radiate, the silly jokes they crack; all of which makes your heart feel full. You feel so alive that you get invested to such an extent that the rest of the world stops making sense. It is just you and them.
However, sometimes our expectations cloud our reality. And films play a huge role in this. Based on wishful thinking, movies can be nothing but an escape mechanism to abscond from reality. Many of us start wishing for an epic love story, just like the ones we have grown up watching, without realizing that reel and real are worlds apart.
So, here are some very generalized beliefs shown in movies that are a far cry from reality:
Meet-Cutes are important
How many of you know couples who have had cheesy meet-cutes?—Probably very few.
Even though meet-cutes add a sweet element to the love story, they are not essential for two people to fall for one another. You could meet a person at the most unexpected place and time and still love them. The first meeting does not have to involve bumping into one another or spilling each other’s coffee. Love is never about the place or the time. It is about the person.
Love usually happens at first sight
While it is natural to find someone attractive upon laying eyes on them, falling in love is a bit of an exaggeration. Movies often exaggerate infatuation with love. However, physical attraction should not be confused with love. Like all other good things, falling in love takes time.
Love is simple
Unlike movies where the sun is always shining, all is good in the hood, true love indeed involves sunny days and some rainy days. It is not always easy. And sometimes, it gets a little messy but that is okay! Nobody is perfect and it is delusional of us to expect a relationship to be. Contrary to popular belief, love is not only about enjoying the good days, it is about fighting the bad ones together too.
Every relationship has a happily ever after
Lastly, unlike in the movies, every relationship does not have a happy ending. Movies end after a couple of hours, often as soon as the characters get together. We never really get to see what happens after that. In reality, falling in love is hard and making it work is even harder. Sometimes it works, other times it does not. And that is okay. Heartbreak is seldom inevitable. It often teaches us lessons that nothing else ever could. So, if a relationship does not work out even after putting in all the effort, it was not meant to be.
Your relationship may not start with a meet-cute and you may not fall for someone the very first time you meet them. It is even possible to not even like the person initially! You may have some trying times and your relationship may be far from perfect. But that is part of reality and being with the right person is so surreal that when you meet the right person, you will withstand the thunderstorms against all odds. After all, love conquers all!