Whether I am capable of opening such a complicated subject or not, I am just like everyone else in this world. I am surrounded by different interpretations of the word. Lots of questions come to mind when this word comes up. I feel I do not know all there is to know about the topic but I will give it my best shot and I will do my best to share my thoughts and feelings about the biggest subject of my life thus far.

Not knowing where to begin from, I will start with some main points – more like questions.

What is love? – The most common and the most unanswered question to this day. After many generations, it is still the one question that does not have a consistent answer. Is it because Love can take different shapes and forms? Can it be expressed in different ways? Can it change? Can it actually mean one thing to one person and something else to another? Is there one real and right meaning? Will mankind ever know the meaning of Love?

As I mentioned earlier, Love is the toughest word to explain, however one of the most powerful feelings ever known to man.

Love is the core of every relationship out there. It exists as it is. It is when we try to classify it, explain it, write about it, think about it, even justify it; it is only then when it becomes too complicated to understand. One might ask him/herself one day: “What does Love mean to me?”

Love is like the air we need to breathe to survive.

Love is like the food we eat to keep our bodies alive.

Love is like the water we need to keep us from falling apart.

Love is like the sun we need to warm us up.

Love is a need for the mind, the heart, the body and the soul.

We can have oxygen, food, water and sun and we can be physically alive – but without Love – we are dead inside.

Our emotions give us the motivation to get out of bed every morning. It is the secret ingredient to LIFE itself.

Love is a state of happiness which drives us to be the best we can be at everything.

Love is a feeling of fulfillment. It is a feeling of peace, belonging and acceptance.

When you love someone, you can sacrifice your life for them, you live everyday just to make that person happy, your own wants and needs come second; you are happy when you see just a smile.  You will be surprised what people do in the name of love.

The feeling of being in love is one that cannot be replaced or imitated. It is one of a kind.

All that does not begin to explain what Love really is. I may write a book with pages and pages, with thoughts and ideas and still, it will not be enough to describe Love.

I will however start by explaining the difference between Love itself and the state of being in love… obviously through my own personal experiences. There can be misunderstandings and confusion between the two, we need to be able to differentiate between them.

So how do we know that we love someone or something or someplace? I will say to you that happiness is related to Love.  We feel happy and peaceful when we are around someone we deeply care about or when we visit a place that gives us that feeling of belonging – feels like home … Then there is the feeling you get when you do something that makes you feel proud, a sense of accomplishment; as in your job or career, or when you create something with your own hands .. at that moment, the world just stops and you feel you Love what you do, where you are, who you are with.  Why? Because it makes you smile deep inside, it makes you happy. Once you have discovered who, what and where you love – you hold on to it so tight and you do not want to ever let it go.  Because once you experienced Love, you know what it’s like not to have it and you will do whatever it takes to keep Love in your life, because Love itself, is what keeps you alive.  And so you live running after one thing only and that is to find Love in every aspect of your life and keep it that way – just like you need the air, food, water and sun.

There are many types of love, there is the love within family members to one another, the love of your friends, your partner, your coworkers, your neighbours…. etc.  Then there is the greatest Love of all – the Love of God or whatever your spiritual or religious belief may be. In my case, my Love to God, the one constant Love in my life.  I was born loved, and I will die loved.  I am loved just because God loves all his children equally. God loves me as I am with my good and with my bad, I am loved unconditionally – and I KNOW that and there is no doubt in my mind. In turn, I love God unconditionally as well, even when tough times hit, I trust in him that he will see me through it and that I will be stronger in the long run. And so I remember that I must love myself as well – another type of love that many fail to experience… The love of self is important in order to value oneself – however if taken too far, it is no longer a healthy kind of love.  One must be aware not to cross that line.

One of the most complicated types of love out there; is the romantic kind of love.  The Love that unites two people who once upon a time were total strangers to each other, and now they are bonded by the powerful feelings of Love. The love that is born, the love that is created, the love that is found. It doesn’t really matter how the two meet – what does matter, is how they feel when they are together.  You may not know why, when or how you fell in love, you just know that you are. You complete each other. You bring out the best in one another. You want to be a better person just so you can deserve this love. How powerful is that?

Some say, you love someone because the way you feel when you are around them.  Others say, it’s because how the person is treating you. And then you have others who will say, it’s because it was your destiny; your fate. Some will say you attracted that person in your life because of who you are and the way you live your life.  I say it is a combination of all of those sayings and possibly more…. who knows why we fall in love with those we end up falling for … I do however believe in fate … I do … I feel that every Love you experience in your life is to make you a better person.  None of us are perfect, none of us will be, and so our Love stories will not be perfect either.  Some will not work out all the way, and some will last a lifetime.  Your connections with those you love, are all different .. and they are all meaningful.  Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.  Your feelings – are just what they are – your feelings. Don’t allow anyone to interfere or influence your feelings.  Love who your heart chooses. Love and don’t be afraid.  Love and fight for your love. What else in this world you think is worth fighting for???

Being in love is like being in another world. Everything around you just exists. You exist. But you feel things you never felt before. The air you breathe is different. The sun seems brighter. The moon is prettier. The people seem nicer. You really don’t care about anything else. Being with the person you love is all you want. It doesn’t matter the how’s, the why’s, and the when’s. You just know you are in love and the whole world seems to stop moving and time has no concept. When you are alone with your love, you feel like you are in a dream, you actually cannot believe that it is real. The feelings are so intense, it is not even possible to put into words how you feel.  Sometimes silence between lovers speak a million words.  When you look into the eyes of the one you love, the eyes tell you how much you are loved, how much you are desired with every fibre of their being, how much you mean to them, and all that with just a look. Imagine when love words are spoken in a soft voice, it hits you straight through the heart. You hear your heart beat, you tremble with excitement, because you know at that moment that only the two of you exist and nothing else matters.  You live the moments of love as you express yourself, you feel it, you cherish it, you hold on to it.  You know you are blessed because you got to experience one of the most incredible moments of your life … you are in love!!

Yes, I am in love. Not only that I am in love, I am also in love with being in love. I am so happy that I can’t stop smiling. I am so happy that no negative comment will get me down. I am so happy that life for me is sparkles and fireworks. That doesn’t mean I am not being realistic. But why not live those feelings, why not enjoy it? It was given to me as a gift from God. Yes, he sent it my way. He answered my prayers. I thank him everyday for giving me the best gift ever – the gift of love.

And so all of you lovers out there, whether you are new in your love or long time lovers, understand there are several stages to Love.  The beginning is always the best. It’s the honeymoon stage, we all call it.  The honeymoon does not have to end.  It is in your hands to continue living the most rewarding love story every told – because at the end – it is your story that counts. Not mine, not your friends and not your neighbours… YOURS! So hold on to your love. Do whatever it takes to keep the Love alive.  I know I intend on doing just that and no one can take that away from me.

I wish you all Lots of LOVE!!