What is in a face? How could one image break all boundaries of my former understanding of my attractions? I have learned that it is not a boy's face that I am attracted to, but the face of innocence and youth. Somehow that attraction has merged itself with an attraction to boys in general.

I have seen today that I am attracted by soft features and a soft blend of colors (like a rainbow instead of black and white). I have discovered that this image is not only found in boys, but in girls too. It is interesting to see that as the male face ages, it becomes rougher and looses that youthful look rather quickly, yet women are able to keep those soft features longer than men.

This is not always the case, though. For example, Leonardo Dicaprio has been described as having a "feminine" face because it does not look as aged as other popular male actors. It is the ability of women to keep the look of youth longer that associates them with being young and frail. It seems that MANY of us are attracted to youth. We look for it in ourselves and in the person we are attracted to.

It seems to me that we have two basic attractions that we easily recognize. We are attracted to a certain gender and then we are attracted to either youth or experience. Why does youth seem to be so much more common? Because youth has become associated with beauty. A soft form is considered more beautiful.

What happens when we go to form a relationship based on these attractions? Well, if we go after someone for their youth, that eventually fades. If we go after simply a mate based on a gender we have come to appreciate in and of itself, then we will become easily bored with the generic feeling. You see, what we REALLY want, and need, is not a partner or someone who is nice to look at, but someone who is beautiful and attractive on the inside.

You can look at someone and see those colors or that youth and fall in love with that, but you were already in love with that. We treasure innocence, and somehow the simple process of aging seems to take that away from us. That is why so many people like a person's eyes the most, and that is also why they are called windows to the soul. They are somehow able to keep the look of youth and innocence, even when the body is rapidly aging. There is an emotional response to looking at someone. It is as if a connection is formed. It is this emotion and this connection that I am attracted to most. That is what draws me to people. Though, I have noticed that looking deeper into someone's eyes, focusing further, you begin to see an image. You see your own reflection. Think about that.

Relationships last far longer if they are based on an emotional attraction. That will grow with the person, but physical attraction will fade with time. If you can find both, that's great, but if you have to choose, find someone you love for who they are inside, not a nice form on the outside that will eventually fade away. This is the difference between love and lust.

You can love someone, having never seen his face, never heard his voice, yet you know him and he knows you. So, if you never meet face to face, you can still be just as close, for love needs no substance. It is formless. It only needs a Heart in which to live. And Love... is forever...