Classics

Classic love stories are the ones that capture your heart!  Boy meets girl; boy is attracted to girl; girl hates boy; boy gets mad and backs off but can't stop thinking about girl; girl can't stop thinking about boy and usually finds out something endearing about him; they meet again and fall in love.  That's the basic summary in varying degrees and circumstances.
Just watched "You've Got Mail" for the first time...I love it!!!  It's a timeless classic!  "Pride and Prejudice, North and South, Persuasion, French Kiss, Australia, Stardust to name just a paltry few; are the same story in different settings.  Part of the romance is the falling part.  The stories where you absolutely despise the fellow's actions but you root for them to get together anyway because you can see that they were meant for each other, are the ones that make your heart melt.  Not that he's a rouge or anything, just that he's put himself  in a position of elevated opinions about himself or done something else foolish that's been hard to get past or been misunderstood.  And it's not always about the fellow being portrayed by a handsome, buff actor; they are just as enjoyable in novels when you get to judge some things about his character or looks for yourself rather than having someone tell you how to feel about them.  The discovery part of the story, whether real life or in movies and books, allows the romance to grow and build a foundation that will support what comes in the future.   I wonder how many times missed opportunities or stubbornness have allowed true love to pass by or not having the courage to persevere has caused us to lose out on what could be the second most important relationship in our lives.  How many folks get distracted by another interest?  How many people settle because they are afraid?
Love is a funny thing.  She's too vast and unpredictable to allow herself to be put in a tidy little box of rules about what she is and what she's not.  But when she finds you, you'll know it and your life will never be the same.
Some folks talk about doing what they think is best for the one they love but it only ends up hurting them more.  So, yeah....I think maybe they don't know what's best after all.  And others may say that love is all about being self-sacrificing but the truth is, that only makes the person they love feel more and more undeserving and set apart when they really want to be in a partnership.  Both of these things are important in the proper amount and context but there's a lot more to it than that. 
Then there's the folks who say that love just is and that they never stop loving no matter what happens.  But in the next breath say that it might not work out and they have to find someone who is more in line with their dreams.  Yeah, I'm in love with this other person and I always will be but you fit my plan better.  That way, I can have my cake and eat it, too and I don't really have to sacrifice a thing!  Now, there's a tidy little box to put "love" in!!