Teenage love and Mature Love

I have a somewhat cynical view of 'Love' because it is one of the most misused word of our times with people falling in and out of it at not so long an interval. Nevertheless here in is the description of the two kinds of love - Teenage love and mature love.

Teenage love is mostly about finding that special someone to confide one's insecurities because at that age we are for the first time in life thinking about Who am I? Why am I here? What makes me different from the rest? What makes me 'special'? (Of course we didn't ponder this question in childhood because we were always playing without a care in the world).

This question leads some people to try to find somebody who can define their purpose of living. They would hold on to this relationship with person as a cover against the idea that they are not special - same as all others.

If a relationship breaks up at this stage it results in self-effacing attitude towards life (depression) believing "nothing is worth living" or they would try to find other person to maintain the idea that having someone in your life makes it special.

But when you look deeper You realize: "You have been holding on to somebody to define yourself. Why shouldn't you define yourself by creating 'you' - a set of beliefs and actions that define you - instead of latching on to another person?"

I believe that's the seed of mature love when you seek somebody's company not because you want it to define yourself but because You believe their company would enrich your life as well as theirs. It enhances your 'self' instead of defining it.

Love is a serendipitous gift but not our 'whole lives' - we define our lives.

P.S.: It may seem not much of a flattering description of love but love does have its place in life.
The author believes love is not to inveigle oneself in other's feelings as the most common notion goes :)

Serendipity = the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for