I decided to ask 20 of my friends and family to define what love means to them. Here is what they said:
Chloe, 20
"I think love is many things. Love can be romantic or it can just be a friendship. I think real love is when you make sacrifices for someone. It's when you do things that you may not want to do in order to make the other person happy. When you gain happiness from the person you love, that is love. It's more emotional than physical to me."
Tea, 19
"To me love is unconditional. It's something that can be shared, felt, and seen. Love has been and will always be a part of this universe.
Brynne, 19
"Love is something you can feel on a sunny day where the sun hits your face and fills you up with warmth. Love is being held in someone's arms and feeling your hearts in synchronicity. Love is your favorite home-cooked meal at the centerpiece of a family dinner. Love is screaming a song at the top of your lungs whilst taking a midnight drive with your best friends. Love can take many forms, but in the end, it comes down to what you make of it. So, don't be afraid to love harder than you ever have before.
Natalie, 19
"Love to me is having intense feelings for a specific person. This person is someone you feel that you cannot live without because of how they have impacted your life and have assisted you in becoming your best self."
Kate, 24
"Love is accepting all flaws no matter what. Love is understanding all the characteristics of someone and highlighting the greatest parts of them. And finally, love is caring for someone ahead of yourself and pushing them to be the best version that they may not even see in themselves."
Sarah, 20
"I think love is something that is very difficult to define. Love is very complex, and hard. I believe it is having someone understanding your imperfections, but still have no second thought about wanting to be with you. Love is when they encourage you to be the best version of yourself, as well as pushing you out of your comfort zone. Love is dedication, compassion, and patience. Overall, love is when their happiness is your happiness."Maria, 55
"When I think of love it's seeing a smile on my children's face or my puppy wagging her tail. Or my husband asking me if I want a turtle sundae. Love to me is seeing the sun shining, birds singing, tulips peeking through and the first smell of the spring air."
Susan, 46
"When I think of love, I think of selflessness, someone caring more about you than they do themselves & their own interests; I think of comfort, someone that can bring you joy no matter what else is going on in your world; I think of security, knowing that you can be yourself without being judged and knowing that they will have your back no matter what happens and will always be there for you; and I think of someone who brings a smile to your face and warms your heart at the very thought of them."
Julie, 20
"When I think of love I think of people always being there for me. Whether I am having a bad day or just need someone to listen, I know that the people who truly love me will be there for me to help out."
Randy, 57
"I believe love is a deep happy feeling for someone or something that you would do anything for. Like what I would do for my family or the Packers!"
Jonathan, 24
"Love is when I'm with a person, bullshit in my life doesn't matter. I can trust the person with anything, and they bring the best out of me."
Randy, 57
"Love has many faces. Some are very bright and some are very dark. The one love that is constant is the love that comes from within. Love yourself or no one else will."
Lauren, 20
"When I think of I think about putting someone or something else before yourself and protecting it and caring for it at all costs. The first example that comes to mind when I think about love, is my parents because they demonstrate the word perfectly; always putting my needs above their own and supporting me unconditionally. Love to me means being genuinely happy, whether its loving yourself, or loving how you live your life,"
Allison, 19
"In general, I think love is kindness. Showing kindness to everyone, always. In a romantic way, love is being responsible for your own happiness and partners mutually bringing their own happiness to the relationship together. Love is supporting, encouraging, trusting, and believing in a person."
Sammy, 20
"Love is putting someone else's needs before your own, it's being selfless and caring for someone unconditionally."
