My friend posed the question “What does ‘love’ mean to you?” not too long ago on Facebook, and I never commented on their post, but the question stuck with me. I found myself thinking about it now and then until I randomly decided to write about it today.

Love. True love. What is it? What does it mean to me? How do I love? These are hard questions, not only because of the complexity of love itself but also because it has been talked about so much already. What can I say about love that hasn’t already been discussed before? What can I contribute to the conversation? Will my attempt to explain it mirror dozens of other’s explanations? Quite possibly. But I won’t know until I try, so here goes.

Love is kind, love is patient. Love is enduring and perseverant. Love is passionate and wild. Unpredictable in its coming yet never leaves once it arrives. It’s calm and forgiving. It’s a listening ear after you’ve had a bad day. It’s saying, “Text me when you get home”. It’s picking up your favorite snack on the way home. It’s flowers for no special occasion and long talks on the phone. Late night walks and cuddling while watching a movie. It’s cooking your favorite meal when you’ve had a long day. It’s sharing your favorite songs. Playful fights and board game nights. It’s always feeling safe with them, even after a fight. It’s trusting and caring. It’s sunshine poking through on those cloudy and rainy days. It’s the way you can speak with each other without words. It’s knowing you have each other’s back. It’s the inside jokes. It’s communication and being on the same page. It’s a risk.

It’s all of these things, and more, at once. It’s the best feeling in the world. It’s what I long for.

The lyrics to this post’s title came from Childish Gambino’s II. Shadows