Day 5: Your Definition Of Love

Love is something that cannot be bought, sold, traded, bartered, or tossed about like the newest fad. It is something that cannot be seen in a form other than action, felt in no other form but warmth, or heard by anything but with happiness and joy. Once you find love whether it is a significant other, a child, a friend, a sibling, a parent, or someone new; it comes in all sorts of shapes and form. I love my husband different than I love my children, and I love each of my children differently then the next. And obviously the cycle continues. The more you love, the harder you love, the more you are open for hurt and pain. But unless you open yourself for that hurt and pain, you will never be able to truly experience the full empowerment of joy. Love brings tears of joy and tears of pain. Brings laughter and sorrow. Love is timeless. Love teaches us things that cannot be taught from books, teachers, or professors. Love drives people to lie, steal and cheat. I don't recommend any of these actions, but it shows that there is much power behind the emotional heart. The love I have for my husband makes me paranoid about his safety when he is traveling somewhere far, even if it's just to the grocery store. I want him safely in my arms every night. Love is what I see when I look into his eyes and he smiles at me. Love is what I feel in his embrace. Love is what I feel when my kids squeeze me tight, or give me their eskimo and butterfly kisses. Love is what drives the world to do what we do. Love is what starts and ends wars. Love is what "lifts us up where we belong". Sorry I couldn't help that last one.

There are many people that I love, have loved, will love and have always loved. I say I love you to a lot of people and I do it frequently. I don't use it casually and I think that people misjudge me for that. If I say it, it's because I mean it. As I am typing this, my 3 year old just walked into the room and says, "Hey Mom I love you!". There are so many families that don't say it enough or even at all. I don't want my children growing into adulthood and feel unloved. I also want them to know what to expect from a marriage and what true love is.

I am very blessed and I am very very loved.