Today is the day that some people dread and some people love. It is Valentine's Day! That is right, love is in the air, more than usual and people are stuffing their faces with chocolate. Although the holiday can be thought of as being "materialistic", it really is a day to spend time and enjoy the company of your loved ones. Yes, you should show your love for your significant other, family and friends every day, but Valentine's Day is just a day to be able to shower each other with even more love.
On this beautiful day full of happiness and love, I surveyed twenty-five people of all different genders and ages in order to see how different their perspectives are of love and the idea of Valentine's Day. Some of the responses were funny, some serious and some heartfelt, but overall seeing love from a different person's perspective really opens your eyes.
One of the questions was whether the person was going to celebrate Valentine's Day or not. Eleven people responded "yes", eight "no" and six "I don't know". There are a lot of misconceptions associated with the Valentine's Day holiday. Most people think that they can only celebrate it if they have a significant other, well guess what? You can celebrate the day with anyone you want: family, friends, or your dog. The holiday is about love. Love is not just something shared between a couple, but rather between you and anyone else in your life.
Love is a complicated, confusing, yet wonderful and beautiful thing. It is a feeling that is indescribable and like nothing else, you have ever felt. Loving someone is one of the greatest gifts to give, and being loved is one of the greatest gifts to receive.
But the ultimate question that I asked was "What is love?". Love is a word that is so hard to explain and so hard to put into words. I believe that everyone interprets the feeling of love differently, causing everyone to have their own definition of the word. Here are some of my favorite answers to this question:
"Love is when you have this feeling for someone that you can't describe to anyone else. When you're with the person you love, you never lose those butterflies you had on day one, you think about the future because you can't imagine it in any way without them ." - Annoynomus
"Love is an action. It's more than a word, it's a purposeful expression of truth and light. It unconditionally gives and receives. Love is the foundation of the soul's longing, peace, and joy." - Annoynomus
"The best feeling in the world ." - Annoynomus
"Trust, loyalty, honesty, friendship, compromise, faithfulness, encouragement ." - Annonmus
Love comes in all shapes and sizes. It is something that should not only be verbally expressed but also shown through actions. We all have our own interpretations of what 'love' is, but that is okay because that is what makes the meaning of it so special.
So it is now your turn, in your own words, what is love?