Continued:

“Isn’t the need to be loved in return what causes suffering, having that expectation?”- in the context of a romantic love, it is like asking: Isn’t the need to eat when hungry what causes suffering, having that expectation to eat? –

– it can work for a little time to  not think about food, to not expect to eat- you may forget about eating and feel okay, but this will not work for long. As  time goes by, you will get hungrier and hungrier and you will suffer. We naturally need what we need and we naturally expect to have what we need.

As a young woman, you need romantic love similar to needing food, so you can toy with unconditional love for a while, but not for long.

anita