Some Say Love...

The qualities of love that I seek in a committed relationship are trust, loyalty, friendship, compromise, comfort, patience and respect. I don't listen to any songs that revolve around the "soul mate" idea, but have listened to songs that include the qualities that I seek in a relationship. One very important quality is trust; "Learning to Breathe" by Switchfoot contains this line, "I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall," which explain that having someone that you can always count on to believe you and be there to catch you when you fall is vital to a relationship. Loyalty is also an important quality; "Everything About You" by One Direction contains these lines, "You know I've always got your back girl, so let me be the one you come running to, running to... You just call my name and I'll be coming through, coming through / On the other side of the world, it don't matter / I'll be there in two," which shows how someone who truly cares about you would do anything to be with you or to help you when you need it. I believe that you can't have a meaningful relationship without a solid base of friendship; "Lucky" by Jason Mraz includes these lyrics, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend... Lucky we're in love in every way," which perfectly sums up how I want my future relationships to be built upon. Also, being able to compromise is a valuable quality; "93 Million Miles" by Jason Mraz has a line that states, "Just know, you’re never alone, you can always come back home," which may not look like it relates to compromising. The lyric implies you can compromise by being able to do your own thing, but if it doesn't work out, there's always a place or activity that two people can do together. The quality of being able to comfort one another is a significant quality; "Be There" by Allstar Weekend contains the lyrics, "From now till forever, I'll be there for you whenever... I'll hold you down when you're thinking there's nobody else, I'll be around where you're looking for somebody to help," which demonstrates the power of being there for one another on a bad day or when you just need someone with which to talk. Finally, patience and respect are essential qualities needed in a committed relationship; "Heartbeat" by The Fray contains a line that states, " 'Cause if you love someone, you love them all the same," which means that no matter what, you stick by the person for better or worse, in good times and bad, and respect who one is as a person and one's decisions.

A soul mate is considered the one person that is perfect for another person. I don't believe in the quest for 'soul mates' as described in the article because many people wonder if a person really has a 'soul mate' that is the only one they can be happily in relationship with for the rest of their life. On one hand, I understand the people who believe in a soul mate and their point of view: the assumption is that their other half is out there, just like them, looking for someone whose hand fits perfectly in theirs. On the other hand, I agreed with the article's point of view: "someone you click with" is important, but putting all the pressure on one person to make you happy is unrealistic. How can another person make you happy if you're not happy independently as well? Just because someone isn't 'your true other half' doesn't mean that the relationship will be doomed; it could become "mature love" and outlast the initial lust of love. Also, expectations of someone who is one's 'soul mate' could not be met and then leave one miserable and completely lost, wondering what one's purpose is now. Personally, the arguments rejecting the idea of 'soul mates' outweigh the arguments in favor of the idea of 'soul mates.'