All we need is love, love is all we need

I've been having lots of conversations this week about love. Love of all sorts. There are so many ways to use the word such as I love fall and candy corn. I love my puppy. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my boyfriend. I love my God. Right there I used to word love six different times, each of them carrying something different along with the word. 

Also, I think I am in love with the word love. It seems to be everywhere. It's written 551 times in the Bible. I look around my house, I've got it somewhere. We watch love stories. We read romantic books about love. We're attracted to images that portray love. Why are weddings such a big deal? All because of those four letters L-O-V-E.

This is the love all over my house.

So what does it really meant to be love? 

I really enjoy conversations about relationships. I thrive on them. I don't think I'm an expert but like I said...I love love. So, I always enjoy a good conversation about what love means. I used to think I understood what love was, but then I met a certain someone and my whole view of it changed. Everyday love takes on a different meaning to me. I used to think that love was something that I felt, all day, everyday. But now, I am learning that love is something that I do. It's an action. 

Someone very wise (aka my mom) once told me that one of the greatest struggles that my generation will face is the misconception of what love and relationships are all about. And I so get that. Doesn't TV tell you that love is passion, romantic dates, buying nice things, more passion? Just watch a prime time TV show, or yet...The Bachelor.

Did you know that there are three different kinds of love? Yep, three. Philos, Eros, and Agape. A short lesson: philos - friend, eros- erotic, agape - unconditional. Three different kinds of love, for three different ways to love. Someone whom I love once said "I think the best kind of relationship is one that encompasses all three kinds of love: friendship, passion, and unconditional love." And I tend to agree. Why wouldn't you want all three?

Anyway, my tangent on love is simply to just say...there is no direct formula. There is no magic feeling that you must feel. Love is different for each of us. We experience it differently and we love differently. Relationships are already messy, so keep love simple.