Merriam-Webster defines love as the following:

love (n): a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternal love for a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3): affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests <love for his old schoolmates>

A textbook, universal definition of the word, one that describes one of the strongest and most powerful emotions we know. Our general conceptions of love are based on this, and our expectations when we fall in love are often cookie-cutter.

I'm asking you to throw it out.

A strange concept, I'm sure. But allow me to explain.

There's nothing wrong with the textbook definition of love- it's just fine on the surface. But love isn't a unit that's transferrable. It differs from person to person.

We all feel other emotions differently. One person's perception of pain isn't the same as another's and is relative to each individual. Something that angers one person might not evoke the same amount of anger in someone else. The same as with joy, and excitement, and sadness.

So why do we expect love to be the same for everyone? Why is love different?

We all have a textbook notion of what is, and what it should look like. But this is often not the reality. Each individual feels, experiences and shares love differently. It's part of what makes us each individual. We don't all love the same.

Some people may be more open to love. It may take them weeks to fall in love with the right person. Just because they fall in love quickly, doesn't mean it's any less real. They might be more expressive with how they love. There's nothing wrong with that.

But another person may be more closed-off to love. It could take them months, even years to fall in love with someone. Again, just because they take their time, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong. They may be more hesitant or reserved, but their love is just as real.

There are infinite combinations, each one unique to each individual. There isn't a time frame. There aren't rules to follow or guidelines to adhere to, a right way, or a wrong way. We all are different, and as long as that happens, we all will experience and express love differently.

So when we fall in love, it's important to realize that the person we fall in love with could perceive, feel, and express love differently than we do. This is not an insurmountable feat- we must simply learn the way they love, and begin to understand it. We may not change the way we love, and we don't have to. But in order to engage in a successful, long-lasting relationship, we need to step out of our boxed-in notion of love and understand that it is different for all of us.

Love is raw, unfeigned, and true. It cannot be defined on a deeper, emotional level. It is something complexly exclusive to each of us.

Perhaps this is just one person's crazy idea of the word, though. Love is what you make it.