love is stored in the way that my parents call me when it rains to ask if i'm sitting by the window because they know it's my favorite place to be when it storms.
it's stored in the way that my friend sent me a picture of one of Pluto's moons because it has the same name as me.
it's stored in the way that more than a couple of my friends have trusted me enough, felt safe and comfortable enough with me to ask me about my gender and my transition and for tips and advice for their own.
it's stored in the way that my oldest friend has my handwriting tattooed on their body saying "i love you" because i mean something to them.
it's stored in the way that my big brother saw a random drawing that i had done in my free time and liked it so much that he tattooed it onto his leg.
it's stored in the way that my 2 absolute closest friends have already started talking to me about visiting once i move 12 hours away for college later this year.
it's stored in the way that my mom and i rewatch our favorite shows together over and over without getting sick of them.
it's stored in the way that my cat loves laying on my legs when she's sleepy and wants love.
love is stored in the way that my friend who moved away for college texted me randomly to ask if they could write an essay about how awesome i am.
it's stored in the way that my friend randomly called me up a while back at 10 o'clock at night to ask if I wanted to go get milkshakes with him.
it's stored in the way one of my closest friends wanted to hang out and watch Legends with me because life has been rough lately.
it's stored in the snickerdoodles that my great aunt made for me when she could, and it's stored in the way that i'll hold onto her recipe and make them for myself on my birthday from now on now that she's gone.
it's stored in the way that my oldest friend and i are getting matching lyric tattoos before i move away for college later this year.
it's stored in the way i played d&d for the first time with the friends i went through high school with, and it's stored in the way my character and my friend's character became buddies even when their character trusted no one else.
it's stored in the way that my friend and i made snickerdoodles together when we hung out for the first time in months since they left for college.
it's stored in the way that some of my friends and i are talking about doing a road trip to go hangout with sloths and capybaras.
love is stored in the way that one of my closest friends is down to go to new york with me just to see one of my favorite bands live if we can make it work.
and it's stored in the way that another of my friends texted me randomly about getting matching tattoos, and it's stored in the way they were so excited when i enthusiastically said that i'd love to (and in the way that it nearly made me cry).
i've held onto this post for a while, keeping it in my drafts and adding to it anytime my friends or family does something that makes me feel loved. i've kept it as a document, a reminder to myself that the people i love and care about love and care about me as well. the entire point of this post is to tell you that love is stored everywhere, in everything, and it's still there even when it gets hard to remember that it is. because i know it gets hard. and it's so easy to convince yourself that it's not there, that you're alone in this world, but you're not. you just have to let your people love you, and you have remember that love, you have to let it shine through even when it's so easy to let it feel like it's dimming. because love is all around you, in so many different forms.
and anyone who sees this more than welcome to reblog with their own little documents of the ways in which love is stored in their own lives. and i'll keep reblogging this with mine.
