Love is an overrated emotion, percieved to bring great joy and elation, that actually brings great pain and emotional hell.
Love is sort of like heroin - dangerous, addictive, and potentially fatal.
And Valentine’s Day was created by Hallmark.
…But I’m not bitter…
Oh yeah, and I also wanted to mention what Le Sang* quoted. Thanks, and good job, man!
[sub]* Wow, did I miss a name change? I like long, complicated French, but this one is probably more userfriendly… Congrats.[/sub]
Look, missy, if you think this means I’m going to stop wearing my snappy knit green cap … no WAY!!! 
Love is…
two naked kids that have been around long enough at this stage to know better.
I’m waiting for the “Love is…” when she finds him cheating with somewone from Archie. That should be a good one.
My definition?
Love is knowing when you don’t have to say anything at all.
There are so many different definitions and variations. I love my friends, my family and of course I love the person I’m ‘with.’
Even if we limit it to the ‘romantic’ version I think we trying to pick one particular shade from a wondrously diverse and complicated rainbow.
However this very afternoon I was asked to provide a concise definition that would provoke thought and I remembered something I’d once heard (will cite when I remember). The timing of THIS thread has provoked me to share here as well.
Love is like music from another room abd you’re singing along with it. Enjoying it, being part of it even though you’re distinct from it. Sharing joy.
True love is when the door closes and you can no longer hear the music but you keep singing anyway because you love the song. And when the door reopens it’s still playing and you’re both still at the same bit, picking up as if nothing ever happened…
sniff
For a more hands-on definiton I tend to think it’s when you truly see another person. Warts and all. See them for their frailties as well as their strengths. And still can’t bear the thought of not having them next to you when you wake up.
It’s when you trust another enough to BE that open, to be completely honest, remove ALL your masks and to accept them and yourself.
But that doesn’t really cover it. It’s codependance and independance existing in the same place simultaneously, and as such it doesn’t need to adhere to facts or logic. It contradicts itself constantly but is only stronger for it.
It’s a hunger. It’s a need. It’s compassion. It’s sensitivity. It’s an ache to make someone else the happiest they can be. Sometimes happier. It’s wanting to give them everything not out of selfishness or thought of reward but because you can see they deserve it.
It’s the most intense feeling so is both beautiful and incredibly painful. And you can’t seem to have the former without at least the risk of the latter.
But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way…
1990: Nelson Mandela is released from a South African prison after serving 27 years for his opposition to apartheid, Operation Desert Shield begins in the Persian Gulf, Sammy Davis Jnr died, East and West Germany united though West Germany compete in – and win – the soccer World Cup, Moscow gets its first McDonalds, Madonna vogued, Iraq invaded Kuwait, NC-17 rating introduced in the US, Wayne Gretzky became the first National Hockey League player to reach 2,000 pointsFor me, “love” has the same meaning as in tennis.
Nothing.
Love is determination. Knowing how much that person enhances your life, even when you can’t be together in person.
Love is dealing with all the little intricacies of two people trying to reach for a common goal, and trying your absolute best to do so with strength, good humour and grace.
Love is forgiving the other person and yourself when it’s not always possible to manage the above objective.
Love is giving up a portion of your ego for the greater good of a whole.
Love is retaining enough of your ego to always be a complete person, and worthy of being loved.
Love is honest.
Love is selfish AND unselfish. Take is an important counterpoint to give.
As an aside, and in the spirit of Stoid’s post, love is truly being able to look into forever. The one time I have been truly in love, I remember looking at him after about a month and thinking, “I will ALWAYS know this man.” The romantic relationship didn’t work out, unfortunately, but he is still my best friend. We loved well, and still will not go a day without talking, and always end our phone calls/emails with “I love you”. Now, love is wanting him to be happy, even if it’s not with me.
Love is knowing that no matter what you do, someone will forgive you. Love is having someone to call at 4 am, because you had a bad dream. Love is the ability to know exactly what someone’s thinking, without saying a word. Love is the smile on their face when they see you for the first time after you’ve been away. Love is watching cartoons while snuggling close together. Love is running to share your news, because you know that they’ll be happy with you. Love is sharing all of your secrets, even the ones that only you know. Love is having someone to cry to when you have a fight with your best friend. Love is falling asleep with a smile, thinking about how much you need them in your life. Love is the smell of their fragrance on your pillows, long after they’ve left the room. Love is knowing that no matter where you are, someone needs you in their life. Love is better than chocolate.
I just wanted to add that this is one of my favorite threads I’ve seen in a while. I’m printing it out, it’s going in my journal.
Mauvaise, you described it perfectly. You rock.
I could not of said it better myself. This is the way I feel about a certain someone (he knows who he is) He always seems to know when I need a phone call to cheer me up and writes me just to say I was thinking of you today.He knows that my life would not be the same without him .I love you baby and dont ever forget that.
… missing someone as soon as they leave the room.
Love (for me at least) is looking across the dinner table after almost 20 years together and not wanting to imagine anyone else there.
Love is . . .
Love is a battlefield.
There, I said it.
Tripler
This message brought to you courtesy of Pat Benetar
I just wanted to thank all of you. You got me to thinking, and now I’m regretting a lot of stuff but at least I’m getting to the point where I can accept it. Love really is wanting someone to be happy even if it isn’t with you. I was bawling last night because the one man that I really and truly love, yes in the present tense, is happy with someone else. I’m happy for him, even though it hurts like hell to know that I’m not the one he’s with. I guess I just wanted to tell him that, he knows who he is. I love you baby, no matter what anyone else says to convince me that I should get over you, I love you. You taught me how to cry again, I don’t know if that’s good or bad, considering that I’ve cried over you more in the past 5 months than I have in the other 15 years of my life. Even though there are little things that annoy me, in the end they just make me love you more, along with all those little things that make me smile and feel fuzzy inside even though I know you don’t think of me in the same way. At the formal during every slow dance I was thinking about you, I guess I never will stop thinking about you. The day that you say “I do” I’ll still love you, I’ll be delighted that you’ll have finally found the person that makes you happy, but I’ll still love you. Much as that hurts inside, much as it tears at my heart and leaves me crying in the darkness, remember that my love for you has always been true and it always will be.
Tearfully yours,
Kitty
… Love is the realization that you could very likely wind up spending your entire forseeable future with this person… and actually feeling pretty happy about the prospect.
For me, it’s the only definition that has consistently worked. I don’t think there’s anyone with whom I could talk for hours each night. Some nights, after we’ve both had horrible days at work, and I have a headache, and the pot roast he was making burnt into a mass of meaty charcoal, and 30,000 telemarketers have called and begged us to spend gobs of money on everything from The Malaysian Gout Relief Fund to a weekly yak’s milk home delivery program… I don’t want to talk! He doesn’t want to talk! We both want to jam a pointy stick into the eyeball of ANYTHING that talks!
… but, after going to bed, sighing deeply and snuggling up against him, I look brightly forward to years and years and YEARS of this stuff.
Love is drawing a bath for her.
Love is going shopping with her.
Love is worrying about her.
Love is morning sex.
Love is an impulsive trip.
Love is listening to her father’s stories.
Love is waiting alone in the kitchen while she and 25 of her best friends throw a wedding shower for her sister.
Love is flowers on a Wednesday for no reason at all.
Love is checking her windshield wiper solution.
Love is making sure she’s done, before you’re done in bed.
Love is a waiting glass of wine and a backrub.
Love is leaving the crossword puzzle for her to do even though you both know she’ll never finish it.
Love is walking her dog at night in the rain even if you want to strangle it.
One caveat: The above must be done without being asked and with no bitching.
p.s. I really need someone I want to do this for.
ChiefScott if you need volunteers I am one for the position. My love life sucks big time right now and these things sound really nice.
So I am volunteering for the job. Let me know.
Just A Girl: you’re awesome.
Personally, I’m currently single. There are two girls in this world I really love. One of them lives in another state with another guy. The other lives in the same state as me, but also with another guy. The latter will be coming to see my band tomorrow night (without her boyfriend). I will flirt with her madly, even though I know I shouldn’t, and even though it will amount to nothing, even if it is enjoyable at the time.
Love can mean so many things, but recently I think I found the perfect example of love.
You cry when you are seperated for any extended period of time. I have done a lot of crying lately.