by Rebecca Vargas

Created on: December 12, 2008

You're head over heels in love with a woman but you're not sure if she feels the same way about you. Here are 5 signs that your woman loves you:

1. She sticks by you during tough times

So you lost your job two weeks ago and haven't found anything yet. Your woman does her best to be patient and tries to make you feel better; she even helps you look for a new job.

Relationships are great when all is going well but life is unpredictable and you'll probably find yourself in a crisis more than once throughout your lifetime. Navigating a tough time together can make or break a relationship if you're both not equally committed to making it work. If your woman sticks by you through tough times, it's a sign that she's committed to you and is willing to make temporary sacrifices in order to move forward. It doesn't mean that she will go along with anything you say, never having an opposing view. It means that even though she may not agree with what you're doing (or not doing) and even if she's worried about the future, she will still make an effort to show her support and dedication to you.

2. She's considerate.

You've been working overtime for the past two months to make ends meet. Your girlfriend doesn't mind that you haven't been taking her out to dinner as much lately; she prefers that you rest when you can.

Sure, every woman wants to feel like the most important part of their man's life but realistically, this is very difficult to accomplish all of the time. Work, stress, family issues and other factors may lead you to focus your attention on other areas of your life. Second fiddle status will never make her happy but if she loves you she will understand that sometimes other things need to come first.

3. She takes care of you when you're sick.

No woman likes to clean up vomit or sleep next to a drippy nosed, whiny man but if a woman loves you she will do her best to help you recover from that nasty case of the flu. Whether she brings you some hot soup and tidies up your place or is there to address your every need and cuddle you to sleep; the important thing is that she's made the effort because that means she truly cares.

4. She includes you in her plans.

When talking about the future, a woman who loves you will always include you in her plans, whether those plans relate to vacationing or moving to another city. A relationship is based on give and take and a woman who is committed to you will always consider how something like a career move could impact your relationship and affect you.

5. She says I love you'

If a woman tells you she loves you, chances are she really does. Sharing that with you is her way of letting you know where you stand in her life and how she views your relationship. However, this is not a sure sign because many women have trouble uttering the words and other women use the term too loosely.

There are many other ways a woman can show you that she loves you but the best way to tell, is by judging how you feel when you're around her. It's important to remember that everyone is different and there's no set rule as to what a good girlfriend or wife should act like. These standards are set individually based on what we've learned in seeing our parents and relatives and what we have experienced through dating and relationships. The important thing is to make sure she knows that she's loved and appreciated; this will make for a happy long term relationship.

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