Romantic love can feel pretty fantastic. There’s a reason why love features as a central topic in so many stories throughout the centuries of human history.

Still, love isn’t always wonderful. In real life, it’s often unpredictable, frustrating, even painful.

While it certainly can offer plenty of rewards, these benefits don’t generally come without some dedicated effort and willingness to accept some challenges as part of the process.

When you love someone, you choose to nurture the first stirrings of attraction, feeding those early feelings and strengthening them to weather stressors to come.

The work involved may not always feel easy. Yet many people find the reward — mutual, lasting love — well worth the investment.

People often say you’ll just know when someone loves you. There’s some truth to that, though it may not show up in the extravagant gestures you see in the media.