What Love Is Not

Love is not hurtful or painful.
It doesn’t call you names or put you down.
Love doesn’t reject you and tell you that you don’t matter.
It doesn’t ignore your feelings or emotions.
Love doesn’t tell you how unattractive and worthless it thinks you are.
It doesn’t make you sob because the hurt is more than you can bear.

Love doesn’t scream and curse at you.
It doesn’t act like love one day and hate the next day.
Love isn’t controlling or manipulative.
It doesn’t try to change who you are.
Love doesn’t disregard your thoughts, dreams or opinions.
It doesn’t have a lack of respect for the meaningful relationships in your life.

Love doesn’t threaten to stop loving you or walk away.
It doesn’t make you feel bad.
Love doesn’t abandon you when you need it the most.
It isn’t self-centered.
Love doesn’t have a lack of empathy.
It doesn’t take actions for reactions.

Love doesn’t make you feel afraid to say what is on your mind.
It doesn’t misinterpret what you say when you do.
Love isn’t a feeling of fear of what will be.
It doesn’t leave you feeling scared.
Love doesn’t push you to do things to make someone else happy.
It isn’t disrespectful.

Love isn’t inpatient
It doesn’t lack understanding.
Love doesn’t make you feel guilty for living life.
It doesn’t take away the things that bring you joy.
Love isn’t any of these things.
It doesn’t have to be this way.

-Gina Fiorentino Morrison