How I Knew I Was in Love

We asked and you answered – here are 20 of your stories of how you knew you were in love. Happy Valentine's Day!

1. I was willing to put my pride aside.

I knew I loved him when I was willing to put my pride aside for him, just to see him smile one more time.

2. I realised what (or who) I needed in an ideal home.

One day, we were walking around the furniture section of Ikea, playing with children's toys, lying on beds, talking about what kind of furniture and home designs we liked... And it suddenly dawned on me that I could do this with her my whole life. As the store began to close, I found myself desperately not wanting my time with her to end.

That day, I realised what (or rather, who) I needed in an ideal home.

3. That person was always on my mind.

That person was always on my mind. I couldn't get her out even if I tried... not that I did.

4. There she was, with my favourite bubble tea in hand.

The first time I booked out of camp, I headed to the bus interchange exhausted. I was looking forward all week to meeting my partner in the evening. As I stepped one foot onto the bus, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and there she was, with my favourite bubble tea in hand. As I held her hand and sipped on sweet honey milk tea on the ride home, I felt a tear in my eye, and just knew for sure.

5. It was all the small things that added up.

I can't say there was a definitive moment where I knew I was in love. It was all the small things that added up – he made sure that I always reached home safely after a day out; he laughed at my jokes no matter how lame they were; he gave me water just the way I like it, warm, without me telling him and just by noticing what temperature I always preferred it to be.

But some moments were bigger than others. When my skin condition flared up, he assured me that he still loved me the same and didn't view me any differently. It made me feel more comfortable around him than I did before.

6. He told me he was willing to wait.

One day, he made the effort to find and meet me after school just to send me home, and told me that he was willing to wait until whenever I was ready to open my heart up to him.

7. I woke up one day and just knew.

I woke up for class one day and just knew. To my surprise, I realized that love had unexpectedly made a home in my heart.

I guess love slowly grows and envelops us. It's like how our hair grows bit by bit every day, and we don’t notice it until one day we realise we really need a haircut.

8. I felt this warm feeling inside that swallowed up my panic.

We were close friends going on best friends at the time. Our teacher was explaining something to the class and in the process rhetorically asked us who our best friends were. In that moment, I realized that she was my best friend but that I'd never told her that before. How would I ever tell her? I hated being mushy. Surely, she knew me well enough to know without me telling her? But what if I never say it and she never knows?

As I started spiralling, I inadvertently glanced over to her and saw her looking at me from across the room, our eyes meeting. We smiled at the same time and I felt this warm feeling inside that swallowed up my panic. I think that was love.

9. I found myself constantly sneaking peeks at him.

There was once we were going home together and I found myself constantly sneaking peeks at him (and smiling).

10. He volunteered to do the dishes for me.

He volunteered to do the dishes for me even though he hates it a lot.

11. We were going through a tough time.

We were going through a tough time identifying if we were compatible in the long run –not the easiest but it was necessary. A few nights later, he texted me out of nowhere and told me that he missed me. I was already feeling surprised when he followed it up with an “I always do”.

All my worries and considerations disappeared. That is also how I know this one’s forever.

12. He piggybacked me through the rain.

I knew I was in love when he piggybacked me through the rain at Singapore Zoo.

13. I felt the whole world spin around us.

We kissed and I felt the whole world spin around us while time, somehow, also seemed to stop.

14. I want to do my best because she's by my side.

I was running to see Stitch in Disney World when all of a sudden it was like the sky opened up and I had a moment like, "Damn, I really like this girl." And then three seconds later I was like, "Faith, snap out of it, you have to go see Stitch."

Also, I guess when I used to crush on other people, my heart would race, I'd blush a lot, and my palms would sweat like crazy. There's none of that with her. She makes me feel so safe and peaceful... like I want to do my best because she's by my side.

15. I thought I was going mad.

I began looking forward to his messages and thinking about him all the time. I'd never been like that for anyone. I thought I was going mad before I realized that I might just be in love.

16. I did not.

I did not. My current partner is also my first, so I never knew what love was prior to our relationship but agreed to give it a shot because I wanted to know how it felt to have someone intimate. Unfortunately, when we started becoming serious, I was displeased that our relationship was becoming 'normal'. Where did the butterflies go? Eventually, I became flirty and playful with other people and never took the future with my partner very seriously.

It's been a long journey but I have since matured much thanks to reflection and heart to heart talks with my partner. Love is not the feelings you get from the honeymoon phase. Love is a commitment to not find someone better (because there is no one better) and to appreciate the smallest yet most indispensable of moments.

We are still in a relationship and going very strong. I just wish I had realized all these sooner and treated my partner with more dignity.

17. Love songs were different.

After falling in love, love songs that I'd listened to countless times before were, all of a sudden, different – I don't think I'd truly listened to them before. I had to remove them from my study playlist or I would never get anything done.

Unfortunately, break up songs hit differently now too.

18. She told me she loved me more than I could ever imagine.

There was once she told me she loved me more than I could ever imagine, and at first I thought she was just being poetic but then I realized she truly meant it. She had so much love for me she didn't believe I would ever understand it, but I did, and as I tried to understand why I did, I realised it was because that's exactly how I felt too.

19. I was dying to tell the whole world.

I don't remember how I knew but I remember realizing I knew. I felt like I had a huge secret that I was dying to tell the whole world.

and last but not least...

20. I could easily turn down outings with friends... just to be with my dog.

It's a cumulative thing... but probably when I could easily turn down outings with friends just to be with my dog. My dog is my greatest love <3