How does one define Love?

The #BOM contest had me thinking about the topic "Love".
How does one define Love in it's vast range of different forms?.
Well!...love in my mind is a strong positive emotional state of mind, an emotion characterized by intimacy and passion, of a long lasting valuable emotion that creates ones own form of love.

My own creation
First of all, the most important form of love is "Self Love", one cannot express that deep personal emotion to others and experience the full pleasure of that strong intimate affection, if one has no love for oneself.

Brian-Luindquiat -Unsplash
So, take care of oneself first, love oneself first, then one can love others with all one's emotional being.
Then there is true love which a commitment between two people, or husband and wife who enjoy and respect each other unconditionally.
In a case of a married couple, who are committed to their marriage vows, "Until death depart" would express their loyalty to each other.
My grandmother always use to say, "Your grandfather and I ate a bag of salt together through our marriage". I never understood that phrase, until I got married and after a few years understood very well what she meant and what those wedding vows were all about.
"For better or for worst, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer", Oh boy!....I had to bite my tongue, keep my cool and learn fast what all that meant, Lol!, actually I think it was mutual in the forty eight years of our marriage. I can't say it was a bed of roses all the time, the thorns would prick every now and then, I can only say, most of it was good though. Love and tolerance over comes most of those thorn pricks and heals the wounds.
Love is unconditional, honest, forgiving and respectful.
In a relationship, there must be forgiveness, love and respect, most of all honesty and trust.

Leighann-blackwood-Unsplash
Love is one of humans essential emotions of expressing one's care for another person.
Valentines Day is a good example on how to express ones love for another, showering one's love one with gifts and flowers on that day expressing one's deep passionate emotion of love.

There are so many forms of love. Parents love for children, children's love for parents and grand-parents. Love comes in all shapes, forms and sizes.
I've been trying to grow my hair out for awhile to join the silver mammas, it must have looked a bit of a sight to one of my family members who in all good intentions, brought me a box of hair color, she thought she was doing me a favor and would save me some money at the hairdressers. I was a little amused and a little taken aback at first.
Well!... what does one do when one loves that family member dearly and one is quite confident and happy in achieving one's goal in joining the "Silver Mamma" brigade.
Does one throw the box back at her and scream like a Karen? at my age I think I'm beyond getting my ego dented, or annoyed at a silly thing like a box of hair color as a gift.
I chose to embrace her with a big bear hug, and told her the truth in love about going silver, which she couldn't understand why I wanted to and insisted I take the box color incase I change my mind.
With no worries or ill feelings, I thanked her for the gift then resumed our little tea party, taking all attention away from the box color on the dinning room dresser which seemed to look back on us with amusement.

It's called unconditional love. The box is safely tucked away in my cupboard. Lol!!
Silver Mammas, here I come.
This is my contribution to #BOM Blog of the Month #Love.
Hope you enjoyed it.

All my Love to all my Hivian friends

HIVE SILVER BLOGGERS SUBSCRIPTION LINK:

If you're between the ages of 40 and 100 and have a passion for blogging and cryptocurrency plus have some wisdom to share, please stop by and subscribe to the new exciting Hive Silver Bloggers Community that is already attracting some of the best talent here on Hive.