Interesting theory for love?

Valentine's day is approaching... tomorrow, in fact! Love is in the air... everything seems to be affected... starting from the romantic music playing in the malls, coffee shops around the city, to "Every kiss begins with K" and similar series of ads on TV, to a new set of spam mails of the "Give them a rock this Valentine's day, the one they've ALWAYS wanted" sort in my mailbox, to couples holding hands and kissing, walking around... even the weather seems to have gotten into the mood, with beautiful sunsets and what not! Interesting... lightens my mood and makes me happy on one hand... and a tad bit sad on the other... oh well, anyways...

I took a break from work and decided to attend one of the courses offered at the learning center at my company... the course was interesting to say the least. But, to sit through a whole day of class... Oh My God! I did not know it would be such a daunting task... Had to browse through websites, chat with friends, get some work done AND of course, depend on lots of caffeine to keep myself awake and concentrate on the class. When browsing through the web, I came across this article, that gave advice on love.

When do you actually realise that you are in love with a "special someone", or if someone is in love with you? I am using "in love with someone" and not "love someone"... there is a difference! As they say, actions speak louder than words... As romantic, engaging and seductive as the words of the "special someone" might be, no words can take the place of concrete action and behavior.

- Do they listen to you?
Actually listening and not just hearing to what someone is saying... listening to their point of view, their issues and anything they have to say is very important. If you really love someone, this is the first thing that you would involuntarily do! The same goes with the "other person" as well. If they really are "in love" with you, they would LISTEN to you.

- Do they follow through on their promises and commitments?
This is one of the most important characteristics of a person... how well they keep the promises and commitments they make to you... how often do they go back on them!

- Do they at least attempt to express interest in your interests and likes -- even if it isn't their thing?
LOL... don't you think this is quite important as well? I know being honest about everything you feel is important... nevertheless, if you really love someone, you involuntarily tend to develop an interest in their interests and likes... for example, even though you might be really bored with some specific sort of movie genre, or music in general, you would try to develop interest in it just so you can get to know the other person well... and spend more time with them! The key thing is that this is a two-way street...

- Do they sometimes go out of their way to demonstrate their care for you?
Is this not simply romantic? If not in every step, showing that you care at least once a while is a really significant aspect in a relationship.

- Do they show up for the relationship -- treating it and you as a priority?
As I already said, a relationship is a two-way street. Prioritising different aspects of life and being clear and discussing about them lets you know how much they actually care about you.

- Do they tell you how they feel? Can they give you space when you need to take it?
Of course, open communication is the baseline of any successful relationship. Of course, every person needs space, but opening up to someone you are in love with is quite important.

- Do they respect your requests, thoughts and values -- even if they don't always agree?
Mutual respect even in case of disagreement... tough, but it just makes it all worth it!

- Are they willing to forgo -- or at least address -- their own addictions, distractions and personal hang-ups that keep them distant from you? Are they honest with you?
Being honest about feelings is really a basic issue when it comes to love. Addressing one's own short-comings and trying to overcome them or work through them together shows how much one loves the other person.

- Do they love you for who you are -- not simply for what you provide or do for them?
This question is quite interesting too... food for some thought here ;)

And I would repeat that all of these have to come from BOTH the persons involved. Though I am not much experienced, just sharing a few of my thoughts here I guess... ;) Can I take a shot at being a therapist? Or do I myself need one? lol...