The Big Question

Do you believe in love? I don't know if I do....




Love. Four letters. One word. A verb. An adjective. A noun. An emotion. A feeling. A way of life? Called "a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend." and, "sexual intercourse; copulation." Twenty-eight defintions in the dictionary. Hundreds of definitions in the mouths of millions. But what is it really?

Is love something you feel for another person? Is it the way a parent hold a child's hand as they cross the street? Is it the tender kiss a couple shares each time they part? Is it standing in front of a bullet, protecting a friend, lover, mother, father, sibling, stranger? Or is it just a myth? A fairy tale made to give people false hope?

Love is often written about in books, watched in movies and TV shows, and supposedly lived every day. But is it really? Is that fluttering in your heart from that single touch really love, or is it just lust? Or bad sushi? Maybe it is your body telling you to stay away because surely, he will break your heart when he cheats on you with your best friend. But no, you didn't listen to the abort signal, you were too busy being in love right? Of course.

Love is often thrown around casually. "I love you" are the three most used words in the world. We say it to our friends, our family, our love interests. We even say it to strangers sometimes. "Excuse me, you dropped you book." They'd say as you would excitedly reply, "Ohmygosh, I love you!" And you will have forgotten their face not five minutes later. It is used in almost every relationship you will ever have. "I love you." Will be the memorable part in the relationship when you are finally convinced it's actually true. That is, until six months later when you break up. Right, you were in love. What else is new?

And then, love could just be how you feel about your family. Your mother whose body you lived in for nine months, your father who taught you how to throw a ball. Your sister who borrows your clothes, your brother who annoys the heck out of you. Your grandma who bakes you cookies and your grandpa who reads the newspaper each morning. But even this "love" might not really be love. It could easily be just our bodies reaciton to the flesh and blood that makes ourselves up.

What is love, really? Is it a nickname, "Hey, love.", or is it a goodbye "I'll see you later. I love you.", or is it just a word? A four letter word. A verb. An adjective. A noun. An emotion. A feeling. A way of life. "A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend." "Sexual intercourse; copulation." Or maybe, love is just simply that; love.