"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident."
~Saint Augustine

Love supports the soul of the other, aids the growth in sanctity of the soul, defends the honour of, and knows of no limits when in service to the beloved.
It is a fire which spreads, softens, and ultimately burns and consumes.
When it hurts to love - when a soul must sacrifice - then you may know that it is real: you are not merely in love - you LOVE.
Though distance may be great between two persons, it remains steadfast and pure, waiting within God's time.