There are different kinds of "love". I won't list them all, but I know some basic definitions can help while you're exploring this topic. Love also feels differently for each person, so I will only be describing my experiences.

Infatuation is the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, sort of an anxiety mixed with anticipation. I would argue that's not true love because it's temporary, transient, and isn't a firm foundation on which to build a relationship.

Love between family/friends we are close to is this feeling of deep caring and compassion towards them. It's a commitment and an inner peace towards them and the relationship. It's what causes us to want to fix the relationship when it's broken and give up our comforts for the well-being of them. It's self-sacrificing and loyal.

Romantic love is the love you might feel for a spouse (disclaimer: I have never experienced this love, so I am guessing, haha). It's a passionate love that is like an extension and multiplication of the love for your family and friends. It often includes sexual attraction, protectiveness/healthy jealousy, and a willingness to compromise for the good of each other.

Love for children (I have also never experienced this as a parent, but have as a child) is a protective love that is the ultimate sacrificial love. It is a willingness to put up with the things a child does and still love them deeply and passionately. It is completely committed and willing to give up all our comforts and even our lives for the life of our child. It is even more intense than romantic love, but doesn't include the jealousy or sexual attraction. It replaces "compromise" with "selfless self-sacrifice".

I hope that sort of makes sense.

Now that I have mentioned a few types of love, you might be surprised to realize you do actually experience them. Maybe not to the intensity you should (dissociation from trauma can cause us to cut off parts of our emotional experience, and that could include love), but love is fundamentally a choice to put another person first. It can seem or feel involuntary, but it really is a deep appreciation for the person you know and a willingness to self-sacrifice for their good.