it's work

You know what love-related theme Disney should take on? It likely doesn't surprise you that I have an opinion, right?

Well my answer is simple: the reality that love takes work. And, like, a lot of it.

For example: when was the last time you woke up, interacted with a teenager, and thought "thanks for making it really easy to love you today." Never, right? Because people don't do that for you. I fight every day to earn a passing grade as a friend, supervisor, sister, daughter, girlfriend, aunt, cousin, sort-of-passive-facebook friend, employee, ex-girlfriend that wants to be encouraging of the 'it's not me it was you message,' compulsive wine consumer...actually...I think that's about it.

If I were, say, Jasmine from Alladin, I'd wake up at noon, put on some oddly bulky pants, wrap a bra-like shirt around my oddly large rack, and, while I combed my hair, my father would walk in adoring me--in part because of my absent mother that he wants to make up for--and pepper me with presents and compliments. And then men would do the same, including a sort of homeless street vendor whom I treat disrespectfully until he takes me on a ride on his magical carpet.

Would I wonder what I did to earn such a delightful adventure? Would I fight to prove to him that I was always crazy? Would I try to redeem myself in the eyes of his oddly conversational monkey? Nope. I'd brush my hair for the millionth time that day while looking at myself in the mirror and singing a song about how lovable I am. Maybe direct my notes at a tiger or something. And it would all be true because I said it aloud.

The truth is that it doesn't work that way. Not even animals love you without conditions, and you know that I'm right if you've watched an episod of Animal Planet's Fatal Attraction.

You have to make the decision that a person, and thus a relationship, is worth it. And then you have to dig in and fight for it from dusk 'til dawn. At least that's what I beleive.