A/N: So apparently this was a really good essay or something. I don't know. I got a good grade on it and my teacher talked to me about it O__o but anyways, I wanted some more opinions. Because I'm skeptical. So... yeah. Enjoy. What is love?

“I love you”. You can see these three simple words everywhere lately, from Valentine’s Day cards, books, and cheesy movies, to high school hallways, your friends, and your family. People believe that love is something you feel, like a warm fuzzy feeling somewhere in the vicinity of your arteries, when you want someone and want them to want you. Personally, I would define this as just a crush. Love is self-sacrificing, giving. It’s directly linked to charity and compassion- caring about something so much that you are willing to give your whole self for it. Love is a choice.

Scholars and theologians have attempted to understand love by classifying it. For example, you don’t feel the same thing for your spouse as you do for your father; or for your friend as you do for God. However, all these types have things in common. You always have to sacrifice.

I would say that out of all of these, parental love probably requires the most giving. The love a mother feels for her child can prompt her to give up her life in exchange for that of her child- if that’s not sacrificial, I don’t know what is. Parental love is also closely related to love of God. If you are religious in any way, you’ve heard people telling you to love God with all your heart since you were born, or converted. Put your trust in Him, and sacrifice yourself to Him. It may sound like some sort of weird ritual, but it basically means to give your heart to God- as a sacrifice.

Most common among people my age is love between friends, and romance. Friend love is akin to loyalty- stick together at all costs. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. Friends shout “I love you!” across the hallway, and later prove it by being there when they are needed. Romantic love, on the other hand…

Most teenagers that I know seem to have forgotten the sacrificial part of love. High school students engaged in relationships focus on the warm fuzzies, on the physical, and on the “me”. They don’t want to give. Breakups occur often and swiftly because the other person did something wrong. They didn’t cater exactly to their partner’s demands.

Teenage pregnancies and STDs are also very common, due to young people thinking that sex is the base of a healthy relationship. Some barely talk to their boyfriend or girlfriend at all, instead spending every waking moment together making out or touching in some way. This kind of thing seems to lead to the fleeting nature of junior-high and high school relationships. I suppose the students in that age group just don’t realize that when the warm fuzzies fade, there has to be something more.

Quite a few married couples don’t seem to understand the nature of love, either. A marriage is a decision, a partnership. It shouldn’t be terminated because “It isn’t working out”. Divorce shouldn’t be an option, especially if you have children. Parents who divorce may not understand the meaning to having love for their children and themselves. Before abandoning your ship, you should at least try to fix it before it sinks. Sometimes you might find that a simple patch works very well.

I’ve had my fair share of love-based relationships. I love my friends and my family. I love God. I know as much about love as the next person down the line. Love can mean something different to everyone, but its basic essence is always the same. It is a self-giving virtue, not self-serving. To fully love you must give of yourself. Accept what is given back, but don’t expect it.