It was nerve-wracking enough when you were a 6-year-old sending a note to your crush with the words, "Will you be my boyfriend?" on it (the appropriate response: a tick in one of three checkboxes - "Yes", "No" or "Maybe") but it doesn't get any easier with age.
Nowadays you're struggling with whether to play it cool, wait for your crush to approach you, slide into their DMs or just hope they'll find you on Tinder and swipe right. Whatever the method, the wait for your crush to evolve into a relationship is often long and miserable.
These memes perfectly describe some of the awkward, hilarious and sad parts of crushing.
When you see your crush on another guys #PostYourQueen post and it's too much to bear with π pic.twitter.com/yv8biqmTIX
— Iceberg Slim. (@MohaleRamo6) February 12, 2017
That one friend who makes it obvious when your crush passes by πππ pic.twitter.com/NCoB0OzpCc
— Lloyd Itu (@McLloyd_Clinton) February 10, 2017
When the crush is mutual.. pic.twitter.com/d1QdkxnXe0
— The people vs Paledi Mothapo (@Paledian) February 10, 2017
All of my Twitter crushes want other guys...not me.
— Mbaduate (@C_Mbadu) February 9, 2017
All. Of. Them. pic.twitter.com/enUrdPnc8l
This is how I will sleep tonight after receiving a text from my crush. pic.twitter.com/3MJh0B2Iuf
— Thato Serotho (@Thato_Koma) February 9, 2017
My ex crush looks so good these days and he's in all my classes pic.twitter.com/VQmD9ZjP1g
— boward woward (@AnswerTheWalls) February 9, 2017
Imagine having a crush on someone your whole life and they tune out to be the worst sex ever guys. pic.twitter.com/h5vPMJZk2I
— Meng Mei Qi β‘ (@callmeNdumi) February 8, 2017
My crush and his girl are happyπππππ pic.twitter.com/VAIlI07kDL
— XII (@Sphakamsile_) February 8, 2017
My crush just asked if I'm free this weekend pic.twitter.com/yo5GLNHdk2
— Anathi (@_PuffMami) February 8, 2017
when the guy your friend is crushing on actually has a crush on you π¨ pic.twitter.com/07FLlx0CKR
— bear. (@_KallyM) February 8, 2017
Butterflies will come out "@lukas_nampala: Never meet your crush if you have a running stomach οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ #Crush101" pic.twitter.com/v47CsNAA4o
— Chandelier1995 (@RichMnguniSA) February 7, 2017
Crushes are stupid. Don't have a crush. pic.twitter.com/ccVU2Fju76
— Goanetse (@misslegoale) February 7, 2017
#SignsYouveBeenBewitched when you not sure if your crush likes you or not πππ pic.twitter.com/0zXE3EURQ5
— Ngok'AmandadupontπΏ (@22riri4thandeka) February 7, 2017
My crush and fast replies. Tshini pic.twitter.com/3DvnIdpQft
— Anathi (@_PuffMami) February 7, 2017
Hehbethuna. Crush yam didn't wish me happy birthday π’π’π’. I'm clearly crush less now pic.twitter.com/Rzm3wKPWNI
— TallBlackGirl (@Seesh07) February 7, 2017
Wow I don't know this song my crush is talking about but y'all kno I'm about to act like I do pic.twitter.com/rIgQiSqplT
— Thotiana (@iviwe_mnguni) February 6, 2017
When my girl crush wants to be friends with meππ©β€οΈ pic.twitter.com/23azDF4r3p
— Kgothatso (@Cooty_Davhie) February 6, 2017
Dear Crush pic.twitter.com/OhET6QaqyQ
— HAPPINESS NHLAPO (@HappinessNhlapo) February 6, 2017
When your crush acknowledges your presence ππΊπΎ pic.twitter.com/8VxzFdwJNy
— EksΓͺ Setshaba (@UnkelChubbz) February 6, 2017
My crush thinks I'm Jozi's Hugh Hefner pic.twitter.com/Twfj6NMBfT
— Panache Boi (@djmzu) February 6, 2017
When you find out your 3 year long crush likes your best friend and sees you as "an acquaintance" pic.twitter.com/52B1ZvyhpG
— erika (@girlsglowy) February 6, 2017
Hahaha I'd block him rha! RT @McMelane_: when your crush asks you to hook them up with your friend. pic.twitter.com/HNam5epYyR
— Khanyisile Joyi (@joyikhanyisile) February 5, 2017
Never call your crush 'chomi'
— nathi fani (@nathi_fani) February 4, 2017
Look. I panicked and it just slipped out. pic.twitter.com/l7NtEgpD9W
Just wanna see my crush and listen to him speak. Qha ndizophinda ndimbone phi pic.twitter.com/X38vMsjBQf
— Anathi (@_PuffMami) February 4, 2017
You guys have a nasty habit of crushing on my crush. How original. pic.twitter.com/9UZe8d01ix
— Lord Voldemort (@Ntshalie) February 11, 2017
February is the month of love. At the Huffington Post South Africa, we take a look at how South Africans are finding and holding on to love. Author Shubnum Khan tells us about how cross-border romances are made or broken, tech journalist Nafisa Akabor looks at how social media replaced your meet-cute and lifestyle editor Sarah Koopman has some advice on how to get away from that tired old dinner-and-a-movie setup. Find them all and more here, or try these.
- 23 Years Into Democracy Interracial Couples Still Face Discrimination
- For South Africans Married To Foreigners, There Are More Than The Usual Hurdles
- Is Finding Love Easier In The Digital Age?
- Ditch The Dinner Date And Charm Your Fave With Something A Little Different
- Going From Hookup To Relationship -- It's Complicated.
- Yes, I Married The Man I Met On A Dating App
- Love in the Time of a Surgical Residency Is Not Easy, And I Am Lucky To Have It
- 11 WTF Things Black Women Have Heard When Dating White People
- 9 Online Dating Fails That Might Make You Switch Your Phone To Flight Mode
- Can You Ace Our Quiz On SA Celebs' Views On Love?
- Watch: From DMs to Old School Courting: 11 Unexpected Ways To Find Love