define love

Ilang beses ko na rin nasagot ang tanong na ‘what is love?’ mula sa di mabilang na slam books na dumaan sa aking buhay, mga walang katapusang usisaan ng mga kaibigan, at sa mga exams ng mga professors na tinamad mag-isip ng bagong bonus questions na itatanong.

At sa di mabilang na pagkakataon ng aking pagsagot ay ang ilang beses na pagbabago ng aking isinasagot.

Grade 2: Love is blind

Grade 5: Love is what makes the world go round

Grade 6: Love conquers all

High school: Love is giving 100% without expecting anything in return

College: Ang pag-ibig ay ang paglilingkod sa sambayanan

7 years ago: Anung pag-ibig? Meron bang ganun?

Ngayon:

Love is staying. Love is being free to go but choosing to stay, and being happy about it. It is getting drenched in the rain, wading in knee-deep flood water, sleeping with a sunflower beside you and waking up early to buy yellow roses.

It is to commit, to understand, and to accept. Love is not blind. It sees all the imperfections and says ‘so what?’. Love is all about hugging tightly. Love is giving but it also means the willingness to accept. To accept mood swings, tantrums, and the occasional rifts. It’s about a dazzling smile.

Love is calm, the storm, and the calm after the storm. It’s the laughter, it’s the tears. It’s going back when everybody else will run away. It’s saying, ‘it’s all right, it’s okay, I am here because you are you’.

Love is not about not getting angry. Love is being angry but still staying. Love is stronger than anger. It’s bigger than all the imperfections summed together. Love is strong. It’s resilience. It’s a survivor.

Love is a sunflower. It’s elmo. It’s sunshine. It’s you.

Medyo humaba ang definition ko ng Love. So in short at para bumagay sa popular one-liner definitions ng Love, summarize ko na lang. Love is you.