[Fuzzybear]

What does love mean to you?

[lenjan]

Love = people who have seen you at your absolute worst and haven't run screaming for the hills, and in fact stick around and still like you.

IMO.

[skittles]

[Direction]

For me Love encompasses more abstract and hard to put into words thoughts...so here are some thoughts that come to mind:

Chemistry/spark/passion - only way I can describe this ... whenever this person walks into a room where you are - you just light up. You just can't help yourself.

Bonding/Intimacy - mental and physical

Committed/best friend - I think Skittles said it best...

[Gabby2007]

be real
be with
but be separate
be responsible for yourself and to others
carry one another's burdens (but not backpacks)

[tranquility]

Love is trust and respect. It's also listening even when you want to be the one to talk

Tranquility

[DePressMe]

Love…tough one. To me love is about compassion. I think there are different levels of love. I love each and every person in this world—from the crack head to the newborn babies—my love grows as I get to know people. Although it is hard for me to admit—I even love the people who have hurt me (just a little)—I have compassion for them because they have to have something wrong with them to do the horrible things they did to me. I guess the next question would be—what is compassion? I’ll have to think about that a little more…

[SerenitysWave]

Very good question... One that I have tried to answer myself many times.....

IDK... love for me isn't about saying it or sexual intimacy but showing it thru acts of un-asked tasks... remembering my favorite things.... caring for me when I cant.... trust, loyality, honesty....all the ways I show it as well.... I guess thats a start...

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DePressMe said:
Love…tough one. To me love is about compassion. I think there are different levels of love. I love each and every person in this world—from the crack head to the newborn babies—my love grows as I get to know people. Although it is hard for me to admit—I even love the people who have hurt me (just a little)—I have compassion for them because they have to have something wrong with them to do the horrible things they did to me. I guess the next question would be—what is compassion? I’ll have to think about that a little more…

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Ditto.

I would also like to add that with compassion you can have responsible compassion and negative compassion. For example, if a friend is hooked on drugs and asks you for money, you give it to him, he buys more drugs. Or, you buy him groceries and he nourishes himself because of your action.

sorry for the jack.

[babybunny]

That is a fantastic question, one that many probably struggle with a bit. I think Tranquility had it pretty close to the way I see it. Also, I think we base what we know as love off of what we were shown in the past as we were developing emotionally. To me, I believe love is compassion, it is also understanding. A good relationship requires trust, but you don't need a relationship to love someone.
Love is an outward expression of how we feel about ourselves and it requires a whole lot of unselfish thinking and actions.

[jacq10]

Friendship. Compassion. Honesty. Trust. Unconditional support.