Love is a Rule ...

What is love?

Today Mark said something that caught my attention, he said "love is a rule, you follow certain rules to know if your in love which is created by your family values, voice of the people who raised you".
My parents have been together for 25 years, and I know they have problems every so often I would hear them arguing about money, dinner, friends and even sometimes the silly things that just are so ridiculous. No matter how often they disagree with one another I can see that they are still happily consent with each other; I believe that their love for one another will last a life time (is that corny?) I was 9 years-old when my mother was diagnose with cancer, it tore my family apart and for the next 5 years, my family lived in fear that we would wake up one morning and my mother wouldn't be alive. I was forced to grow up and deal with the harsh reality that life sometimes can be a bitch; it was so painful seeing her go through all the treatments and the loss of her hair, sometimes it was so surreal that I wished that I was the one who had cancer.
What was more painful than seeing my mother getting weaker by the day was to see my father crying almost every night. The next 5 birthdays that I had, my wish to god was simple; "please let my mommy live", I guess God granted my wishes because when I turned 15 I found out that my mother won over her cancer.
The way I see love is what I see in my parents; a marriage that is simple but happy. When I think about my future and marriage I envision the living husband, 3 kids and a happy home to call my own. I honestly do not want the luxious lifestyle that would be feel with expectations and greed, that is not how my parents raised me to be.