WHAT IS LOVE, ACTUALLY?

Growing up in a brown family where saying “I love you” is much harder than saying “I hate you,” I have always wondered what love actually is. Is it the selfless sacrifices my mom makes for my dad? Or is it my dad providing everything to his family while neglecting his own needs?

Some say love is the easiest feeling, and others say love is the most complicated feeling ever. Love is the sacrifices we make for each other and whatnot. But leaving everyone’s thesis behind, for me, love is warmth a comforting feeling that makes me feel the safest even when my life has been crumbling. It’s the feeling of being seen, heard, and understood without even having to ask. It’s the act-of-service kind of love.

I believe love should be as easy as breathing. I want to be loved by someone someday like a habit rather than a chore. I want to fall in love hard and be loved even harder. I don’t even know when I will be able to feel this beautiful feeling called love.

The giddiness of seeing someone I love deeply. The feeling of a whole zoo in my stomach when they express their feelings. The twitch in my stomach, the sensation, that kind of sensation which makes me forget about any other feeling I have other than love. A love where learning about each other and challenging each other makes sense.

Just thinking about love feels like a blooming, beautiful flower to me — slowly, gently, passionately growing from a small bud into something that blossoms beautifully.

For me, love is the most beautiful feeling to ever exist.