E D I T O R ' S N O T E

Redefining Love”—it's fascinating how these two words can hold such strong feelings of transformation with hints of many unspoken stories to be told.

I hated the pain that came from the separation of a break up, let alone betrayal and love lorn feelings, but each ending opened up a new side, a new page, and new definition of love for me. Before my first break up, I did not think much about what I wanted from a partner. At the time, I thought I knew everything there was to know about love. I read many books and watched many movies, but my experiences were nothing like the stories I had read. Without many depictions of the aftermath of a break up, feelings of replacement or even the toxicity that love could hold, I was truly living a fairytale world that was brought by my own projection. Soon after the pain subsided, I understood why self care and self love mattered, why boundaries existed and why I couldn't ever think logically when it came to love. More importantly, my perception of love changed.

The definition I knew as a 16-year-old girl expanded. As much as I didn't want to feel this way, I had developed trust and commitment issues. I'm still not sure if it's a good thing to be more cautious and less naive when it comes to love. In fact, at times I would find myself in constant battles between believing the best in people or being skeptical. But above all, I still genuinely choose to believe that love is real, it does exist in our world, and that vulnerability is key to developing flourishing relationships.

I hope Terms and Conditions' first magazine issue, Redefining Love, will showcase some of the moments I personally experienced, and that the feelings of loss, hurt, anger, sadness, and betrayal are all valid in the midst of figuring out what love is. And if anything, love should be celebrated, should be talked about more and not turned away