Every now and then, I get the question, "Have you ever been in love?"

I've always equated being in love with having a crush... that fluttery, fleeting madness that takes over the mind, much like an obssession, and renders one hopelessly blind... but that eventually dissapates... quickly when a relationship develops or affection is unrequited. So the answer has been yes... Yes, I've crushed. More often when I was younger...

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe being in love is meant to be more than temporary. And maybe it's more grand and more wonderful than I've ever imagined. Maybe it's something I've never experienced, or never thought I could experience... or worse, something I'm simply incapable of feeling.

Should I hope to fall in love? What if I'm happy enough loving and being loved? Would I rather be in love? What's missing in love that is in "in love"? Which is better for me? Is one more genuine or longer-lasting than the other? And is it foolhardly to hope for something I don't know is even possible?