Love is not about being able to live together. It's about not being able to live apart.
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Once upon a time, when love wasn't an algorithm,
when there were no compatibility charts,
psychological analyses, or five-year plans,
It was simple.
It either existed, or it didn't.
No one made a list of “pros and cons.”
No one asked whether the other person
fit the criteria for a healthy relationship.
People found each other,
and if they held hands,
there was no need to search for more.
Today?
Today, we see love differently.
We analyze it,
as if drafting a financial plan
or a survival strategy for the wilderness.
"We need to see if we can function together."
Function as what?
As a perfectly matched couple in an IKEA catalog?
As a business plan with a clear return on investment?
As two planets orbit each other,
but never truly touching?
(And if they do touch, it's more of a catastrophic collision than a fateful encounter.)
I love you. We're out of bread.
Once, when someone said "I love you,"
there was no but attached to it.
Today?
We say it in passing.
We say it in a rush.
We say it without looking into each other's eyes.
"I love you. Take out the trash."
"I love you. We're out of bread."
"I love you." – but only because it's expected.
And then, when we feel it for real,
we suddenly don't know how to say it.
Because we've heard the words so many times,
they have lost their weight.
So we remain silent.
And we hope the other person will understand it without words.
And if they don't? Well…
Maybe there's an app for that.
Maybe we should just get a dog.
Maybe sometimes, we wish we could just want peace.
Something practical.
Like a dog.
A dog is grateful, doesn't hold grudges,
and when you leave,
it doesn't secretly text five others.
But no.
We have to choose someone.
who turns our life upside down.
And then, when it all falls apart,
we say, “I just can't do relationships anymore.”
And we try again.
A love that never began.
There are loves that never get a chance.
There are loves that live in just one heart.
There are loves that burn,
but never consume anything together.
We could have told him we loved him.
And we did.
And it wasn't enough.
We gave him everything.
Our whole heart, our whole soul,
our whole world,
even what we didn't actually have.
And he chose someone else.
Because with her, it made sense.
Because with her, he found no "cons."
Because with us, it was too much.
Too much emotion.
Too much intensity.
Too much truth.
And so he went
where there was peace.
And we stayed
where there was silence.
And honestly?
Maybe sometimes we wish
we could just want peace.
Romeo and Juliet after twenty years.
If Romeo and Juliet had survived,
how long would they have lasted?
Maybe after twenty years,
they'd argue about who left the balcony open.
Maybe one day they'd look at each other
and realized they didn't understand each other
as much as they once thought.
But maybe not.
Maybe they would have grown old together.
Maybe they would have found
that the burning love doesn't have to be destroyed,
it can simply transform.
Maybe it's not true.
that every passion must fade.
Maybe we just let it fall asleep.
Love, which we still treat as a transaction.
Love was never questioned before,
because it was a contract.
Today, we question it too much,
yet it is still a contract.
Once, a woman's family had to pay a dowry.
Today, it is important that she is independent, not too demanding, and financially stable.
Once, marriage was based on family names.
Today, it's based on whether there's a “future” in it.
After centuries of civilization,
science, art, and philosophy,
we've progressed… well,
about an inch.
Love is still seen as a transaction.
The only difference is that instead of cattle and land,
we negotiate compatibility, personal growth,
and perfect timing.
So we don't end up like our ancestors, right?
If only we were just a little smarter…
Love that doesn't need to be searched for.
Love has never been easy.
It was never a guarantee of a happy ending.
But it was never nonsense.
It was never a mistake.
It was never just an illusion.
Maybe that's why we still write poetry.
Maybe that's why we still believe,
that somewhere out there,
somewhere between the lines,
somewhere at a glance,
that isn't calculated,
but it's real,
Love still exists.
And maybe…
We just need to stop being afraid to look it in the eye.
© Tereza Sklovská | Different Worlds by Sklovská
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