Know the Difference
On the hard-earned skill of telling real love from the things that wear its name.
Some lessons you can only learn from the inside. This one took me too long. Sharing in case it shortens the road for someone else.
Do we even know what true love is?
I know it isn’t always easy
But it doesn’t make it less beautiful
The hard part is knowing the difference
The difference between obsession and love
The difference between drama and passion
If you’ve been abused, your heart may see it as care
I hope you grow to know the difference
Before it’s too late
You should know that you deserve the real thing
Fight, claw, battle deep within
I think you’ll see the difference
Because one day you’ll treat your heart
The way it deserves to be treated
And the people you love, or claim to love you
I think you’ll know the difference
If your heart has been trained to confuse intensity with care, you might need to relearn what calm love feels like. Calm doesn’t mean cold. Calm means safe. And safe is what you actually deserve.
— JTC