Love: What Is It?

If you ask a young child what love is, they will say it's the feeling mommy or daddy gives you, or the way it feels to eat a warm cookie from the oven, the feeling you get when you hug your favorite stuffed animal or the way you feel about any kind of animal. If you ask a young married couple, they will tell you the feeling you get when you're with your other half, the feeling you get when you talk about them or spend every moment surrounded by them. If you ask an elderly couple, they will tell you it's the feeling that you get every time you look into the eyes of your lover; the feeling of their presence in the room with yours. But, with all these different definitions on love, what actually is it?

I'm not a love expert; not in the least. But, if you ask me, love is all of those things and so much more.

Love is the butterfly feeling when you that first initial spark ignites inside of you as his blue eyes look at yours. Love is the warm feeling his name gives you, whether it's hearing it or saying it. Love is the safe, comforting feeling holding his hand or feeling his embrace sends throughout your body. Love is when a smile is plastered on your face because of something funny or stupid he said earlier in the day that you keep replaying in your head as you lay down, trying to calm your beating heart and brain so you can sleep.

Love is when you would rather give up sleep to talk to her on the phone late at night when you know you have something really important the next day, but you do it for her. Love is when you both are freezing, but you would rather her be warm and happy. Love is when seeing her smile is all that you strive for on a daily basis. Love is when your phone goes off and your heart starts jumping because you hope and pray that it’s her trying to talk to you, even though you just dropped her off.

Love is wanting to grow together. It's bickering, occasionally, but never going to sleep angry. It's admitting your wrong when you want to be right. It's, sometimes, giving up when you're actually right so the other person is happy. Love is wanting to cuddle up every night with the one you love the most in your arms. It’s when the tears or the pain the other person is feeling radiants throughout you worse than it is them and hating that feeling.

Love is the feeling of looking into your newborn's eyes and knowing that this moment is what you were created for. Love is wanting to put their wants and needs before your own, and being even more happy with that. Love is working as hard as you can for long hours at a time to make sure they can get all the world has to offer them and more.

Love is blind. Love is colorful. Love is magic. It's hard, it's easy, it's confusion and knowledge all at once. It can make you want to scream but make your heart sing. It can make your emotions go haywire, but make you feel like you’ve never been this sane in your life.

There is no set-in-stone definition on what love really is. So, how do you really know if it's love?

You'll know. When you feel it, even in the slightest, you’ll know. And that’s a promise.