What Is Love?
As we approach Valentine’s Day, I wanted to get in my two cents as to what love is.
Love is NOT about expensive jewelry. It’s not about how much gets spent, whether the card is fancy enough, or if we go out for supper. It’s certainly not about getting a new car with a bow on it, although when I bought my Honda Civic, I did ask for a bow. The dealer didn’t have any.
Love is the day-in-and-day-out actions that we do for each other. Love is being kind, giving more than getting, and using kind words to each other.
It’s my husband cooking supper for us at night so I don’t have to be responsible for it anymore.
It’s me mopping up messes without being asked and bringing in the garbage cans from the curb.
It’s the SoftSoap fairy filling all the containers and clean laundry magically appearing in the closet and drawers.
It’s about keeping bushes trimmed, furnaces working, and car oil changed. It’s about finding warranties and instruction manuals and dog vaccination records in an orderly file drawer.
Love is our daughter fixing up a guest room, because we asked her to. It’s taking the time and money to repaint, hang light dampening curtains, replace a ceiling fan, put on a new shower head, and replacing the toilet. All so her parents have their own room when they come to visit.
It’s buying us a complete set of new pots and pans because she knows how much we love the brand we recommended to her, and buying me a beautiful new watch when I admired hers.
It’s about her Dad coming to help her when she tried her dream of owning a dog kennel, then coming back to help her dismantle it and move back to her old life.
It’s about her Mom taking vacation days to come visit, just like years ago when she used to take vacation days so a small child could go the pool for the day or go miniature golfing.
Love is many little things and many little actions. It’s a lifetime of kindness and generosities, both of time and money.
I know I’m loved regardless of the size of my diamond or my car. I’m loved whether I get a big card or a fancy meal. And they know they’re loved too.
For more ideas on knowing when you are loved, check out this guest post at A Daily Life. It’s something worth writing up for yourself.
Life Lessons Love Is Special Events car bow guest room Honda Civic love is postaday Valentine's Day
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I am a backyard adventurer, philosopher and observer, recording my life in journals and photographs. Visit my blog at www.livingtheseasons.com.
Living The Seasons 
This one made me misty-eyed! And by the way, I’m here with Kate Kresse!
Awww. . . thanks! And thanks for coming over to take a closer look at my blog.
Reblogged this on Believe Anyway and commented:
As we head into a new week I wanted to share with you this lovely post about love from Living the Seasons. She posted it on Valentine’s Day—but it is timeless. Enjoy!!
Love this today…..the day in and day out…all those wonderful things that enrich our lives. this was a perfect post. thanks, too for giving people the opportunity to see my little post, too. Your writings today truly moved me.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the wonderful compliment.
Yeah, I’m shamelessly promoting my other blog but there’s some good stuff there. Your post is good for anytime, but for Valentine’s Day it was especially appropriate.
Lovely post with some great points. Different people do have different ways of expressing love (and feeling loved) so it is always important to remember that. For some people it will never be enough to have dinner cooked for them every night if they don’t get any complements or affirmative comments or perhaps don’t have the opportunity to spend real time together.
Thank you for both the compliments and for the reminder that in some relationships, the small things don’t count as love. It’s unfortunate too, but there are some (in my family too) that can’t be happy with the small affections in life.
Love is about more than one day, I agree. It reminds me a lot of how people will ignore their kids all week and then force “family time” on them on the weekends. They do this as if this is going to make up for all of that time lost earlier. Love is the same way. It is everyday.
That’s an excellent comparison. Kids need both quality and quantity time. There’s no way to make it up one day a week. Marriages are the same. Great comment – thanks!
Love is definitely a visit from the soft soap fairy. Like a gallon of milk, I try not to be the one to reach the bottom of it. The little day to day details of life are the proving ground for love. Big gestures that come once or twice a year can’t absolve neglect the rest of the year. Like you, I feel lucky to have found someone who sweats the small stuff and is my partner.
As usual, you’ve clarified what I was thinking. Thank you again!
A lovely description of what love is. It truly is the little things. Thanks.
It so much is the little things. A big diamond is very nice, but not as much as everyday love. Thanks for leaving a comment!
“Love is the day-in-and-day-out actions that we do for each other. Love is being kind, giving more than getting, and using kind words to each other.” This alone is outstanding – but all the rest of the post is lovely, too
I appreciate your pointing that out to me. I can say or write some pretty profound things and not realize until someone says something. Thanks!
So true! I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day all year long!
Thanks Heather. And thanks for visiting!
I wish I had that love that put the laundry away:)
That would be me. But he’s the SoftSoap fairy. He fills the Windex too!
Stunning writing!!!
Thanks the note Cee! I’m so glad to hear you liked it.
Very well put! Enjoyed the lovely spring flowers, especially the various shades of pink. :)
I’m glad you enjoyed all of it. Thanks for the note!