“Love” is a deep and lasting interest in another person’s happiness and well-being. Love is a decision to do what is best for another person, even when the warm, fuzzy feelings are not there. “Infatuation” is an often intense, but short-lived, interest in the other person, usually focused on just the physical aspect of a relationship.

As the old adage goes, "Girls use sex to get love, boys use love to get sex." Please don't mistake the two. Sometimes at your age things like that seem to run together and it's hard to distinguish love from the other. Love doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, and it doesn't hurt or pressure you to do anything you don't want to. Love should always encourage you to be yourself and it should be supportive.

Love takes time, and takes root slowly, while infatuation can be rushed, based mainly on physical attraction. If the initial excitement of a relationship tapers off and we conclude from this that love is gone, we can be sure that love was never there to begin with. Therefore, you should not determine the worth of a relationship by measuring the intensity of emotions. And the best and longest lasting relationships begin as friendships, so take your time and enjoy the fun and freedom of being a teenager.