What does it mean to be in love? Is love wonderful, difficult, easy, or stressful? I would claim that it incorporates all of these and none. Love is wonderful, especially at first. The definition of the euphoria involved in love is unachievable unless the reader, or listener has already experienced the same. While it is wonderful it is also difficult. A very good friend of mine once said, "the hardest transition from being single to belonging to a relationship is the I versus we. The statement of 'what do I want to do?', no longer has place in our language. It is replaced by 'what do we want to do?'" This is very difficult especially for those of us that are independant people by nature.
Is love stressful? Absolutely. The outcome of descisions which previously only effected the one making the decision now effects both in the relationship, which puts an added burden on those "calling the shots". The best example of this I can think of is: A girl is with some of her friends at a bar, while her boyfriend is working the night shift, and consumes more than the legally allowable limit of alcohol to drive. She is faced with the decision of driving and risking getting arrested, or spending money the two don't have on a taxi. If she descides to drive, gets pulled over and looses her liscence then her boyfriend will have the burden of driving her everywere for the next year. If she takes the taxi then the boyfriend will have been working overtime at his job to no avail because his girlfriend just spent the extra money he made. When in a relationship with someone it adds a whole different element to ones decision making.
Is it easy being in a relationship? It is that too. It takes a measure of discipline to wake up in the morning and go to school or work. When in love, it makes that act markedly more easier. To get up, go to work and excel reciprocates in more income which in turns means you have the ability to buy her something that will bring a smile to her face which in turn lifts your heart and your spirits.
In the question of "what is love" there are many different, and sometimes conflicting inputs in the answer. Overall, it is very safe to say that the benefits highly outweigh there single counterparts. If this was not so, no one would be in a relationship, or married.