If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin freely –a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better show more affection than she feels.

From “Pride and Prejudice,” by Jane Austen

Jane Austen uses her vivid prose to unveil her thoughts about love.   In a romantic relationship, do people that we love need to encourage us to love them so that our affection grows?  Probably not.  Love is an unexplainable emotion and, as such, it is unpredictable.  It is as beautiful as the moonlight reflected on the sea in this photograph. (Wow! I am suddenly becoming a poet.) Requited love accounts for our most enjoyable experiences, but love doesn’t need to be reciprocated to set our heart on fire.   Yet, what do I know about love?  For that matter, what does anyone know about love?