What is Love?

The question often comes up, what is love? I have been in love  in the past, but sometimes it is difficult to describe. According to Webster’s dictionary it is an “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another”. We have multiple definitions of love but it is so hard for people to describe. I have multiple loves, my family, my little girl Lottie, and my love for G-d. Each one is slightly different however all are still love relationships.

            Love is wonderful and being in love is even better, the first couple months when you are in love with a new partner are full of constant butterflies and longing to be with your partner 24/7. This lasts maybe 6-9 months at most but then as you get comfortable with a relationship these feelings fade away and although you still love the person the relationship is different, it is more mature and at this time you truly get to know the other person. 

What I find so sad is some people define love based upon material things such as flowers, jewelry, candies, or anything else of that nature. I have seen countless posts of girls saying how much their boyfriends, husbands, or fiancés really love them because they got new jewelry, tons of their favorite candy bars and how these items make their relationships the perfect fairytales. There is no problem with a significant other providing their love with a gift however the problem comes when these items=love. Just because someone gives you something does not mean it is true love or the person loves you anymore than another person. This philosophy creates a society where girls value material items as their significant other loving them and those girls who do not get items like this feel less because they are not as “loved”. This is such a sad concept to think about because love should not be defined by gifts from someone. I think this is the case because it is so hard to define love in our society that we tend to attribute it to whatever society says it is so it falls to items equaling love.

 

 How do you define love in your life? Do you fall into the trap of defining it with material objects or do you see it more as I do? I would love to hear your responses.