Love. It’s the most beautiful emotion a human being can convey but it is the most difficult to understand, especially for our generation. Call us what you want, millennials, Generation X, Y, or Z, but we generally have a difficult time expressing how we truly feel about one another, and it’s because we simply don’t understand how to do so.
We base the strength of our relationship on how many times we snapchat our ‘bae’, and measure how much we love each other with the amount of #wcw and #mcm post we post on Instagram. Sometimes these shout outs on social media are cute and endearing, but for the most part, they are just a hollow gesture. Not everyone expresses love in the same way, but we need to remember that love is not something that can be reduced to a few swipes on a touch screen, and Modern Love reminds us of that.
The Modern Love articles are op-ed articles featured in the New York Times that tell stories of all relationships, including those between family members and friends. They are not fairy tales filled with unrealistic expectations, and they don’t always end with a “happily ever after”. They are real, raw, and inspiring stories that everyone can learn from.
The story submitted by Jochebed Smith about her relationship with a man 10 years her senior reminds us that the cool guy is never the right guy. Jordana Narin, winner of the Modern Love college essay contest, lets us know that tragedy can strike when we don’t communicate what we want in a relationship. Each story is unique, and you can find important lessons in all of them. One of the most memorable articles was by Sara Eckel, who’s 8 year dry spell with men showed us that just because we haven’t found Mr. Right, doesn’t mean that we are Ms. Wrong, and a relationship doesn’t define our success in life.
I first got hooked on Modern Love after reading the famous 36 Questions to fall in love article. From then on it was a whirlwind of tales about the sporadic aunt down the street, a tinder date disaster, the tale of a gay cougar, and the unification of polar opposites. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, and there were a few times when I became a little angry. But the key trait that makes all of these stories so beautiful is substance; which is something we all need to include in our lives a little more often. Reading the Modern Love articles reminds me that we are still flawed, but our imperfections lead us into some crazy and amazing adventures. They are important to read because they teach us that we need to escape the bubbles that we hide in behind our phone screens. Life has a lot to offer us, and no matter how scary the situation may be, we need to allow our hearts to accept it.
Featured Image via YouTube.
