Without love what would life be like? Think about it, millions of people say, “I love you.” We celebrate love on Valentine’s Day, but what is love? Some people say that in order to be in love with someone you have to have had sex with that person. Or that you can’t be in love with the same sex. Someone that you’re in love with might ask you to do something that you don't want to do in order to prove your love. When you love another person, do you ask them to “sacrifice a part of themselves in the name of that love” (Bahr, 1232)? No. All these statements are not what love is. Sex is not love and love is not sex. Love can be between the same sexes, and you sure don’t ever have to prove something to show you’re in love.

So, again, what is love? “A wise man once said that love is a wonderful thing” (Mackey, 123). The origin of the word is probably the most logical place to start. As with many words in the English language, love is a derivative of a Latin word, which I am not sure of, but I would say, "causemajoraproblemus" which would mean, "You're miserable when you got it and miserable when you don't." {Nice use of humor} What I do know is the word was created to explain the “biological phenomenon that existed when certain individuals came into contact with each other and either remained together or went about their lives separately” (Cancian, 22). Having sex with someone shouldn’t be considered as love in this case. Regardless of the outcome, the relationship usually has -characteristic-m characteristics of throat lumps, knotted stomachs, weak knees, temporary loss of language, sweaty palms, dizziness, sneezing, and occasional nausea.

Oxford English Dictionary defines the term love as, “that disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which (arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his or her presence and desire for his or her approval; warm affection, attachment.” In short, love can be defined as a strong liking for someone or something. You could have a love for things such as food, music, sports or your new car. For some, love could be a great counterpart to late, evening thunder storms on hot July nights or cold, wet sand between bare toes. Others love money, and some even love the feeling of riding a roller coaster. I, myself, love the feeling of that adrenaline rush once the roller coaster takes off. But, the strongest love comes from the love of another person, such as a sibling, friend, or even a neighbor.

Love is affectionate feelings for different people including husband, wife, children, friends, co-workers, and God. However, the love for each of these is completely different. Various types of love exist. Love is an intense feeling of affection, an emotion {Comma after emotion.} and even affects the way a person acts. Love can be romantic or it can be described as lust. One type of love that we all might have experienced in our youth is “puppy” love, or we might have experienced the consuming power of a “first love”. This type of love is often more an infatuation. It might be an expression more of lust than love, yet it still is a sincere attempt to connect with another.

Unique emotion is a good way to describe love in a relationship between two people. Some say that if you are gay and have a partner, you are not felling feeling love. Whether you are in a relationship with the same or opposite sex you can be in love either way. When you love, you do things for the other person. When you love, you do not expect an equal return on your investment. You are not concerned about yourself as much as you are for the welfare of the other person. It is unconditional. Loving another person “does not require an obligation. Being in love, doesn’t mean, that you would have to prove that you are in love or sacrifice something to show your love. If the person you love does not return your love, it is acceptable” (Yeung, 393). It is giving. When you love another person, you feel connected to him or her. The happiness or sorrow of that person becomes yours. It is tolerant and accepting. Loving another person allows you to forgive when he or she has done something wrong. “As long as love is in force, the relationship remains permanent, to death and beyond. But often love decays (Grodal, 26)”. It may begin as a romantic fling that is filled with intense feelings of joy. If it's real, it will mature into a bonding of mutual admiration, friendship and trust which could come about to either gays or straights.

On the other hand, love could be between parent and child. I love both my parents, because of their care, support and love for me. Sure, we get into arguments like all other families, yet in the end, we do love each other. Parents who love their children know that they must care for the child. Part of caring is limiting the child’s activities for the child’s safety. Another part is monitoring the child to make certain the child stays within his limits. A big part of loving a child is in teaching the child to be self-sufficient. The independent child eventually leaves, so parents who love their children know that sooner or later, they must let their children leave.

Then there is the love between man and God. Though not everyone believes in God, or a reasonable duplicate, the love of God requires the same devotion that loving another person might. The love of God might be seen in a deeply held appreciation for life itself. There is the love of country. The love of country might be seen in the service of one's countrymen. It might be expressed in the service of one's nation by serving in the military. It might be seen in the reverence of our constitution and doctrines of civil liberties. There is the love of a pet. Most pets return love unconditionally and are loyal to their people. The regular, feeding, grooming and care for a pet comes from love. The companionship of animals is the great reward for loving them. These are all valid examples of what love is and we all have experience one of these types of love in some point of our life.

Love is different things to different people. In its simplest terms, love is a four-letter word. Much like other words of similar letter make up, when expressed it can evoke laughter, pleasure, pain, anger, and virtually any wave of reaction. As Martha Stewart might say, “Love is a good thing”.

Works Cited

Bahr, Howard M. “Families and Self-Sacrifice: Alternative Models and Meanings for Family Theory.” Social Forces June 2001: 1232.

Cancian, Francesca M. Love in America: Gender and Self-Development. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987.

Grodal, Torben Kragh. “Love and Desire in the Cinema.” Cinema Journal Dec. 2004: 26.

Mackey, Harold. “How Do I Love Thee?” The Family Coordinator Apr. 1969: 123.

Oxford English Dictionary. Love. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Yeung, King-To. “What Does Love Mean? Exploring Network Culture in Two Network Settings.” Social Forces Sept. 2005: 393.