Something other than oneself

Most of what we call love is a story we are telling about ourselves, with another person cast in a role.

The real thing starts when the story breaks. When they want something you did not write for them. When they are tired in a way that has nothing to do with you. When they say no.

That is the test. Can you let them be real, separate, not yours? If you can, it is love. If you cannot, it is a very flattering mirror.