Title: TRUE love...?

By: 6to8

At a young age, I'm very convinced I am in love. In fact, I'm sure of it. We connect amazingly, emotionally and sexually. He's my best, most trusted friend and my other half. I live to see him smile.

So, why am I worried? I know I shouldn't be overwhelming myself with these overly analytical questions and enjoying myself. But I am deathly afraid of this beautiful relationship ever coming to an end.

By no means are we having any problems at all. Things aren't perfect, but they sure are amazing. It's just that my boyfriend, aged 16, insists on lavishing me with promises of "forever" and marrying me and having children. Of course, one day, I'd love to live out that future. But I'm 15, and even at this age I'm very bluntly aware that good things do come to an end. And who knows where I will be 15 years from now? People grow apart. Normally I WOULD be enjoying myself, but now these obligations have put unspeakable pressure on me to make this last.

So, I have begun to question EVERYTHING, because if we ever break up and things just don't work out, I know I'll be devastated. Before this relationship I was a pretty emotionally volatile person, and he was the one who got me out of that. I know I'd blame everything on myself and those promises would haunt me.

In some ways I know I'm a very irrationally fearful person, but I also I have this visceral feeling that our love will go places. My question is: How do you know when it's true love? I know it's been covered on this website, but how do YOU distinguish fleeting love from the the-one-forever-REAL-DEAL kind of love? I need other people's opinions to settle my doubts. I want to know if we have grounds for enduring love.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - Time
Answer by: gregg@loveisgreat.com