Love is a funny thing. Merriam-Webster defines love as "strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties". However, in my twenty years on this planet, I have come to discover that this definition does not fully encompass all that love does. Love means something different to everyone, and it is sometimes hard to define. I have compiled responses from numerous people that attempts to explain just WHAT is love?

High School Students:

"Love is when you are with someone and you look at them and you feel safe. Not only with a specific person, but it could be with your family or friends. Your heart feels complete and you have endless laughter and support." - Delaney, Junior

"Love to me is what makes someone happy. It’s not defined or restricted by anything." - James, Junior

"What is love huh? Oh man that's a complex question... For me, love is that fuzzy feeling you get when you're with the person you do love. It's kinda like... a cool breeze on a summer day, or a crisp apple in autumn. It's really just an amazing feeling that is hard to describe but you know what it is when you find and feel it." - Michael, Senior

College Students:

"Love is a sacrifice for unity. It’s accepting a person's flaws and imperfections because you want them to be in your life." - Matt, Freshman

"Love isn’t something that sprouts out of nowhere, love grows over time. Love is asking if someone is okay, love is doing something you hate to make someone happy, love is surprising someone with their favorite things, love is opening your heart, love sees no color or gender, love is unconditional and knows no bounds." - Sydney, Freshman

"Love is when you start caring about someone else’s wellbeing more than your own." - Zane, Sophomore

"Although I’m still learning about love, from what I’ve learned so far, love is being happy just because the person you love is happy. It’s doing things for the other person just to see them light up. It’s having a beacon or a safety net for you to go to at all times. Love is supporting that person through their worst days, even when it’s difficult." - Valeria, Sophomore

"Love to me is genuinely caring for someone. It doesn’t have to only be your significant other, it can be a friend and/or a family member. To me, the best part about love is that love is not limited, you can love however many people you want to." Lexi, Junior

"Love is a feeling you feel for someone when you know they're always there for you and have your back. You would do anything for them, and if they were no longer around you don't know what you would do. You owe your life to them in your own eyes, because you want to, not because they ask. It is something you can't force yourself to feel but you just do for someone." - Grant, Junior

"So in the wise words of Bo Burnham, “Love is getting really comfortable and peeing in the pool.” Just kidding. But I think to me love is spending all day with someone and still not having enough time with them. It’s talking on the phone in traffic and time just flies by. It’s wanting to know everything about them for the rest of your life." Felicia, Senior

"Love is sneakily eating their cheese fries when they’re not looking, and feeling confident enough to tell them later, knowing they won’t actually be mad." - Zack, Senior

Parents:

"Love is simple. It is honest. It is unconditional. No one has to change who they are as a person to be in love. There are no hidden agendas, or ridiculous expectations of what one another should do or be. People in love change because they are growing together. They are still discovering who they are, and learning new things about one another. It’s fresh, it’s never stale. Love allows you to be at your most vulnerable place, pure exposure to your soul, to your being, and never being afraid of being judged. Love accepts you, your flaws, your strengths…because love sees right through you…it embraces your quirkiness and your silliness. Love lifts you up. It encourages you to be the best version of yourself. Love is your biggest supporter. It’s wanting the best in each other for each other. It’s a smile across the room, it’s laughing uncontrollably, it’s sitting in silence. Love is the stomach full of butterflies, goosebumps on your arm, and a sense of calm. It’s absolute comfort. Love is doing anything and everything for this person…it’s looking forward to seeing them at the end of the day, and it’s knowing that this is the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, start a family with, and grow old with. It's a gift from God." - Mom

"Love is being comfortable with that person. Being yourself. Doing anything for that person. Sacrificing your life for that person. Taking care of them when they get old. It is someone to laugh and cry with. Never worrying that they will judge you. They take you for who you are no matter your faults. It is someone to be silly with." - Dad

"Love is more than just an emotion. It is truly a covenant between you, your spouse, and God. A relationship built solely on an emotion will fail. Love as a way of life will carry you through the tough times.There will be tough times. There will be times where you are ready to quit. Days when your babies cry all night. Days when there are not enough hours to get everything done or enough money to do it with. Days when sickness grabs hold and seems that it will never let go. Love can and will carry you and your spouse through those tough times because God brings us to them and carries us through them. He is the author of love." - The Wayt's