When you love someone, you’re going to give them one hundred percent of your energy. You aren’t going to give them the bare minimum, simply because you can get away with it, because they have never called you out on it, because they’re seemingly okay with giving you their all without getting the same amount in return.
Even if your partner doesn’t say a word about the way you’re treating them, it doesn’t mean your treatment is okay. It doesn’t mean you should continue taking them for granted. If you really care about them, then you will want to show your love in a million little ways. You will want them to feel special. You will want them to feel spoiled.
When you love someone, they’re worth the effort it takes to keep the relationship strong. You will go out of your way to do kind things for them, not because you want to win brownie points or get something in return, but simply because you love bringing a smile to their face. You love seeing them smile. Their happiness is your happiness. You do cute things for them just because. There doesn’t have to be a reason.
When you love someone, you aren’t going to mind picking them up or answering a call in the middle of the night. Will it be inconvenient? Maybe. But you wouldn’t have it any other way. You would never leave them hanging when they need you because you want to be the person they rely on, the person they can trust. You might not be thrilled about the change in plans, but you will help them and support them regardless. Leaving them to deal with their issues alone never even crosses your mind.
When you love someone, they’re worth the effort. You aren’t going to stop paying them compliments and making them feel special after a certain amount of time has passed. You aren’t going to assume they already know how you feel and use that as an excuse to stop showering them with your love. You’re going to treat them well, consistently. You’re never going to stop saying those three little words and reminding them how much you care.
Of course, relationships can’t always be the only thing on your mind. You’re allowed to have periods where your energy is focused elsewhere. You’re allowed to treat other things in your world as a priority. You’re allowed to let your partner pick up some of the slack during moments when you really need to focus on other things. But you shouldn’t get lazy once you’ve been in a relationship for a while. You shouldn’t stop putting effort in because you’ve already built a life with this person and doubt they’re going anywhere after all this time.
Even if your partner really is going to stay with you no matter how you behave, wouldn’t you rather have them happy? Wouldn’t you rather be the partner they deserve? Wouldn’t you rather put in effort to show them that you care just as much as they do? If you really love them, then the answer is simple.
