Different Kinds of Love

There's love pretty much everywhere, but I've been noticing there's lots of different kinds.

There's the kind of love that when you're stranded on the side of the road with a busted transmission, you can call them and know they'll be on their way in ten minutes.

There's the kind of love that asks if you've had enough to eat and gives nice, warm hugs and says, 'you know this house is your house too,' waves goodbye from the front step when you drive away.

There's the kind of love that means when they call you at three a.m. and they had a miscarriage or they failed their exam, or life just sucks, you can talk together until the sun comes up and messy-cry and wonder together why things are the way they are.

There's the kind of love that gives you butterflies when they smile and makes you feel like everything is perfect when you're holding hands.

There's the kind of love that hurts because the relationship is sort of broken for now and there's tension and they prickle when you touch their shoulder and there's the kind of loneliness in their eyes that stays even when you're right there but you don't ruffle and you let them roll their eyes and you don't push, you just offer them tea and wish you could absorb all the pain because you love them anyway.

There's the kind of love that makes you feel proud and glowing inside, when you're holding a newborn baby and studying their little chubby face and feeling their warmth in your arms.

There's the kind of love that makes you cry when you're sitting in the audience, watching them up there succeeding and it makes you happy and proud and sad and you've-gotta-let-go-a-little-bit-more-but-you'll-never-stop-loving-them-anyway and so you cry and you smile and you wave and they find you from the stage and grin at you.

There's the kind of love that neither party really acknowledges because you're both too busy ribbing each other's choices and photobombing each other and arguing over the directions because why did we even agree to carpool again? But when you haven't seen them for a week they text you a meme about pizza just to check in.

There's the kind of love that you have for someone that you don't even know beyond chit chat but you care about their day and bring them Christmas cookies some years and compliment their new haircut when you see them.

There's the kind of love you have for someone who needs you, that tugs your heart when you see pictures or videos and wonder what more you might be able to do for them and it makes you mad you can't do more.

There's the kind of love that puts post it notes in your lunches and gas in your car and when you get your wisdom teeth out they drive you home and get you a milkshake.

There's the kind of love that just used to be and all that's left are the memories and whenever something reminds you of it you just smile or sigh and wonder again for a minute or two why things are the way they are.

There's the kind of stuck-with-you love that you don't ever think about until you hear from an aunt about something they did when they were young and it makes you smile and wrinkle your nose because it's just so like them to do that and your heart feels warm.

There's the kind of love that makes your heart feel full when you see them in love or getting that new job or holding their brand new baby because you've prayed them all the way to where they are and they don't even know how much you care about how much they've grown and how happy it makes you feel to see them living and growing and doing things.

There's so many different ways people love. You just gotta look for it.