What Is Love?

What is love? Sure it's a four letter word, easy to spell, often said. Love paints pictures of pink hearts, x's and o's, sappy songs and so forth. But what is love? No other word has so many meanings, caused so much confusion and inner conflict. "I love you". What does it mean? When you say you're "in love", what is it? How do you know it's real? What is love?

There is a distinct difference between loving someone, and being IN love with them. I must say I have never been IN love, but I have/had immense love for people. First of all I’m a firm believer that the person has to love you back, there has to be a mutual love to fall IN love. And obviously I can’t say for sure since I have never been IN love with someone, but having great love for someone has helped me see things more clearly.

When you love someone, you care more about their happiness than your own. Someone you can be yourself with and not have to hide. Someone you care deeply about despite their imperfections. It’s seeing an imperfect person and, while not ignoring their imperfections, covering over them, because you love them despite their faults. Someone you have a deep spiritual, emotional, and physical connection with. Someone you don’t think you can live without, but are willing to do so if you're not the one who the other person needs to be happy. Loving someone means knowing when to let go. Because as long as they're happy, you're happy… or at least you can live with it.

And when that person feels the same way about you... then you're in love.