Love, such an interesting topic.
In love, well, I have this kind of theory of being in love. Try to sketch, shortly. When I was like 15 years old, I remember I sat in a restaurant with my father (which was blind), an Italian restaurant, with delicious - I call it 'kroketten' - mashed potatoes wrapped in a crusty coat of breadcrumbles, and that fried. I loved the food over there but that particular day something new happened to me. I could'nt eat. I looked at the food and it looked strange to me, like stuff from outter space. I touched with my fork some of the food, but couldn't stick it in my mouth and I felt weird in my tummy. Indeed, something like butterflies inside my body. Very light inside, not hungry, couldn't focus, thoughts elsewhere, well, elsewhere was in fact one person. A girl of my age, beautiful, very far away, a girl that had an affair with a friend of mine, not that I felt any remorse or anger, but I think I can say that that was the first time I was in love. In love with something that was in my case relatively 'unreachable', due to the relation she had and due to my character, I don't 'start', I don't actively seduce... I just dream, think of it, and am in love. I think that feeling never ever left me. I never said it to that particular girl, but right now I still like her a lot in my thoughts, but the feelings are not that intense anymore. I had a few other girlfriends in the meantime and have a relation for more than five years right now. But I never felt that same, light-intense feeling again, it just slumbers around in my body. I tend to think that I only can be in love once. That 'pure' feeling will never happen again. I think I know what it is like, and I take from one relationship to the other something of the previous lover with me. I still like (and in some cases even love) my previous partners. So, The state of 'In Love' is unique. If I had to learn something of that it could be that one has to grab his chance if it's there, but I still am a rather introvert person. I think a lot of things in life are elsewhere, or are mysteries, or unattainable. That is what makes it so terrible-beautiful.
It's not easy to buy presents for loved ones. I try to find out what they like, just ask them...
I had the luck that my partner for instance once said while walking past a shop 'Oh, what a beautiful ring !', genuinely. So I buy that ring, keep it safe, and when it's her Birthday - 'ta-daa'... But it's not always that easy. I think ladies like to receive things that honour them, that please them. For the next time I think of offering a day in some kind of a 'welness' place, where you get a nice massage, beauty-care-face-make-up-things etcetera... A nice dinner, candle light and then... well... musica !
Topic: loved one