WHAT IS LOVE?
Everyone Has a Different Answer…
Ask anyone what love is and you will get a hundred different answers. Some say it’s romance, others say it’s friendship. Some think it’s passion, some think it’s patience. And most of us sit there quietly wondering what it really means for ourselves. That’s because love is not one thing. It changes shape depending on the person the moment and the context.
Love in the Little Things
Love is quieter than we often think. It is the small, unnoticed moments that add up and shape our lives. It is in the pause when someone listens without judgment, in the shared laughter over something silly, in the space we make for another person to just be.
Beyond Intense Feelings
When we ask ourselves, what love really is it is easy to get lost in the idea of love as a feeling that should always be intense or dramatic. The truth is love takes many forms and it does not always need to be declared with fanfare. Sometimes love is the patience you show yourself when you are struggling. Sometimes it is the care you offer a friend who is going through a rough patch. Sometimes it is the quiet routine of showing up every day for your partner family or even a colleague.
The Power of Self-Love
One of the most powerful forms of love is self-love. And this is often misunderstood. Self-love is not about being perfect or constantly happy. It is about recognizing your own worth and treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you care about. It is noticing your feelings without judgment and giving yourself permission to rest or to fail without shame. Self-love is what makes all other forms of love richer because it creates a space within you that can hold connection without fear or depletion.
Love as Empathy
Love also lives in empathy and understanding. It is in seeing someone clearly and choosing to meet them where they are rather than where you expect them to be. It is in listening and being present without trying to fix everything. Often this is what makes a relationship meaningful more than grand declarations or gifts. The acts that go unnoticed are often the ones that matter the most.
Love in Many Forms
And yes, love includes romance, but it is not limited to it. Love is in friendship that endures distance and time. Love is in family that irritates us but never abandons us. Love is in community, in the shared human experience of caring for others even when we do not gain anything in return. Love is in acts of kindness that ripple outward quietly and persistently.
Simple, Profound, Everywhere
So, as February brings hearts and red decorations everywhere it is worth pausing to reflect on what love really is in your life. Love is not just a feeling but an action a choice a practice. It can be bold or quiet it can be fleeting or lasting it can be directed outward or inward. At the heart of it love is noticing another person or yourself and responding with care. And in that noticing and responding love becomes real tangible and transformative.
Celebrate Every Form of Love
This February consider the different forms of love around you. Celebrate them quietly or loudly but most importantly recognize them. Because love is everywhere and often it is simpler than we think yet more profound than we can put into words.
Author: Diya Ayappa
Diya is a trained counsellor and works as a content writer at Silver Oak Health. She is a passionate mental health advocate and is dedicated to creating awareness and fostering open conversations around mental well-being. Her blogs aim to empower individuals by addressing thought-provoking topics, providing personal insights, and making mental health a top priority for all.
