I have always wondered one thing and one thing only. That is, what is love? Is it a feeling where you are over-come by butterflies in your stomach or a sense of dizziness when the one person that you are most deeply attracted to kisses you? Is it knowing that no matter what happens those who love you - whether family, friend, or lover- would do what ever it takes for you? I guess every single person on the planet (which is about 6,828,799,410 and still growing as of this second) has they're own definition of what love is to them. Maybe its the way that their mother held them close when they were younger and afraid, or how they are able to look in their loved ones eyes and be at ease no matter what is going on. I guess it's impossible to lay a firm definition of what it really is. Poets, hell even Shakespeare, could only talk about love from their own views, and at times were even perplexed on defining it. He [Shakespeare] even wrote:
... Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or Bends with the remover to remove.
O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.
It is a star to every wandering bark,
whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken
Sonnet 116

And not to be clichéd, but I know what it means to be 'blinded by love.' My last relationship ended passed due because at the time I believed that I was so 'in love' that I could go through fire and hell for this certain person, yet too dumb to listen to those who actually loved me (being my family and friends) who were telling me to get out of the relationship because it was only going to end badly. But what did they know, I thought. They didn't know how I felt - what I was going through on the inside. (Now keep in mind that this was the first and only relationship that I've had up to that point, so I didn't know what the hell I was doing, or what I should expect.) I practically tore my life apart all because I thought I knew what I was doing, just as silly little teenage girls tend to do when love is involved. I gave up everything - honestly and completely everything - being blinded... madly blinded by love, or at least what I thought was love. Turns out it was a one sided love, the person whom I thought loved me, didn't. And now that I'm able to look back - I knew that he didn't, at the end of the day I can remember telling my self that I was wrong, "he loves you, he just doesn't want to say it out loud." I cant tell you how many nights I spent crying myself to sleep because I was so angry at myself, angry because I couldn't understand why I was alone yet so in love, or at least what I thought was love. It was always a roller coaster, some days would be good other days it was like I didn't even exist in his eyes, or that I was just another 'friend.' Yet I tried everything - planning special things for us to do, making things, ect... But, to be quite honest, I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world because they've shown me so much about the human mind. How far you can push it, bend it, or manipulate it before it breaks. Now, I'm no longer the naive girl that I was. I guess I have him to thank for it. And when I look back on it I see that I was just too proud, too afraid of being wrong, and too arrogant to actually listen to those who actually cared about me. Now I know better. Now I know what love is, at least for me.

A few years wiser, I have found somebody who I can say honestly loves me. Things are far from 'fairy-tale' with him, except we did meet at a Ball. But, I can honestly say that I am genuinely happy, he lights up all the joys in my life. He's the only one who I can see the love for me in his eyes, his touch, and his voice. There's no need to self-affirm any part of our relationship, no need for me crying myself to sleep every night due to constant misunderstandings and frustrations. I promised myself that I wouldn't go through my past again. I promised I wouldn't be left tattered, broken, and lost. And I'm living life the way it should be - from one day to the next. Free.

I guess love can be defined as a vastly changing, human experience. We were built to love, its our compassion, though some never feel the necessity to put themselves below others to bring their comrades up. Its just different for everyone. Who is able to pinpoint it exactly, no one. It is just as unique as we are and thus remains as a beautiful enigma.