With you, it just flows
Because, love presents in the smallest and simplest way.
A friend came over to me that night while ordering instant Indomie at our regular cafe and said,
“It’s so hard to fall in love with this kind of economy. I have to go see her every day, and plan surprises for every important occasion. Can you imagine? It’s so tough, right? What do you think?”
Anyway, we were supposed to talk about the next test.
Loving isn’t easy. There’s always a price to pay and one or two things to sacrifice. Loving means being ready to give the world to the one we cherish, letting go of what we have for their sake.
As a quote often attributed to Jane Austen goes, although it actually originates from the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, directed by Joe Wright:
“To love is to burn, to be on fire.”
At least, that’s what the media and romance films taught me also. Building a thousand temples in a single night, crafting a giant boat in a day (that gets kicked into a mountain — strange, right?), drinking poison together, or building a monument that later becomes one of the seven wonders of the world. As if the bigger the gesture, the greater the love seems.
But when I look back, I don’t fully agree with all that.
Relax everyone, put down your pitchforks. I’m not saying I reject that kind of love.
Expressing love with big or even reckless gestures isn’t cringeworthy or embarrassing. I, myself, am happy when I see love celebrated in grand ways. That’s the way it should be: love deserves to be celebrated.
What I don’t agree with is the idea that the bigger the thing given, the greater the love. The same goes for sacrifice — as if the greater the sacrifice, the stronger the love.
This is what makes love seem complicated because there’s always something that must be paid for or sacrificed.
To me, as Rex Orange County puts it, loving is easy. Love shouldn’t be tangled, hurtful, or a headache. If loving feels hard, the essence of love itself starts to shift. If that’s the case, then why don’t we just call it “suffer”?
Love is simple. We’re born from love, we grow in love, and eventually, love will guide us in the end. Love is close to us, ever-present in daily life, yet somehow we still seek out ultra-massive forms to express it.
Since love is simple, why not show love through simple acts? These are things we often overlook, even though they carry much deeper meaning.
As simple as, saying good morning every day, sharing our favorite foods, listening to the their rant endlessly even if it’s late, ensuring they get home safely, and peeling an orange for them.
All of these small actions, while simple, often go unnoticed. We frequently overlook the importance of simply being present for them, wishing them safety, and even making their life a little easier.
As a note, grand gestures won’t matter if we ignore the small things that are truly important. Real love is about paying attention to the details that may seem trivial but make everything warmer.
So, to love, I choose small, simple steps—like being willing to peel an orange for them. Because for me, love lives in the little acts strung together in simplicity.
