“I love you” is a term we have become familiar with since the day we were born. Our parents constantly remind us they love us, family members use it, we say it when we say goodbye, and it’s something you say to your girlfriend or boyfriend, but what does it mean?

Freshman year for an assignment, I decided to try and explain what love is and what it means when someone says it to us, but as I have gotten older, the term has become less meaningful.

The definition of love is “a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection to pleasure. It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment.”

If a teacher were to ask what the dictionary definition of “love” is, you most likely would not be able to give a straightforward response. Most of the time, your definition is going to be from your experience, but what is it?

Someone once told me that love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

Though I am sure they originally took this idea from some inspiring quote from the internet it raises many more questions, like how does one express love? What is the right way to tell someone you love them? Do you tell them in song like almost every dorky musical? Is it something you can buy?

You always hear that hate is a strong word, well love is stronger. The word “love” is so overused nowadays, how can it still be a feeling? What is love? Love can only be a dream until one day that person loves you back.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. That courage that you receive makes you love someone even more. That courage is what gives yourself confidence. That courage is what keeps you alive, but like the song says, “all we need is love?”

There are so many questions that can be asked, but in reality, the real question is, What is love? Nothing lasts forever, so live your life and think about your experiences so you can answer, what is love?