With Valentine’s Day almost here, I have seen so many blog posts that are dedicated to Love.  How to love your spouse better, how to love your family better, the top ten way to show your love, and etc.  All the ones I have seen have been “How to love”, but I have not seen any that tells me what love is. 

 Love.  Such a little word with so such big implications.  The love of family, the love of self, the love of many, and so many more.  What is love?  I honestly am not sure.  Being so new to having “real” emotions, sometimes I have a hard time really understanding them.  

I know that love is a strong feeling, but then hate is a strong feeling.  So it has to be more than just a “strong feeling”.  Love often leads to people to put their lives in danger for a loved one.  So is being willing to die for someone the meaning of love.  No, I do not think so.  People are willing to die for complete strangers that they have no emotional attachment to.

To me the question of “What is love?” is extremely difficult to answer.  Many people have said what they thought the definition of love is.  So I turned to what they said to help me start narrowing down the definition of love. 

“Love is friendship set on fire.” – unknown

“Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day.” – Nicholas Sparks

“Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
The Bible even has something to say about love.

1 Corinthians 13
New International Version
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I think I can start narrowing down a definition now.  I know love is not merely happiness.  If it were just based on happiness then I believe it would not be very enduring.  In my opinion happiness is a very fleeting thing. 

Of the quotes I listed, two seem close to what I think love is.  The quote from Nicholas Sparks and the one from the Bible.

My definition of love is this. Love is feeling compelled to do the little things for someone day in and day out, without complaining or being resentful.  Loving someone means that you feel compelled to lift someone up, and encourage them daily.  Love means you are patient with that person.  Even when you are angry or frustrated.  You do not belittle them, instead you use patience in dealing with them.  Love lasts.  It lasts through the good times and it lasts through the bad times.  It lasts when you feel like your loved one is not showing you the same amount of love you are showing them. Love is trusting someone with your heart, your emotions, and your mind. 

I think when you love someone you are really making yourself vulnerable.  Because you are placing a part of  yourself in the hands of someone you love,  I think it is very important to love carefully. 

I believe that definition could apply to spouses, children, friends, extended family and etc.  What do you think?  What is your definition of love?