Love is a noun. Love is a verb. Love is a condition. Yet it is unconditional. It is something as abstract and unknowable as it is concrete. It is a duality that equally shapes and destroys. It means everything to everyone, even those to whom it means nothing.

Love is a force that shapes the universe. It has the power to unite beings of all sorts. It can cross boundaries of gender, race, and species, sometimes simultaneously. It is the thing that drives music—the one reason why songs are sung in the first place. It inspired self-expression and all that is creative in human civilization. All of the feats of humanity are tied to a desire. But, what desire? The desire for love from something earthly or something divine is the root of achievement.

A man’s love can move mountains. A woman’s love can shape the world. God’s created the universe. Religions revolve around it. Philosophies question it. Philosophies also affirm it. They also try to define it. Can you?

Love is the beacon of hope for all of humankind. I say this because I know what it is, or have at least done enough internal digging to derive a definition for it. To me, this is the definition of love:

“The authentic, unconditional, unwavering, undying attraction to, appreciation for, and dedication toward another’s existence and well-being.”

When love works (is reciprocated), the stars around you align in your favor. When the magic fades, the stars scatter beyond your limits. Love can destroy us. It is important to be aware of the balance required to maintain love throughout your lifetime.

And, even more importantly, maintain stability for the sake of future generations. Every child is a lovechild as much as (s)he is a brainchild. Without love, there is no future and there are no children. That is the purpose of love.

Love is what completes us, whether we find it within ourselves or with the help of others. It is a gift of sentiment that creates feelings that cannot be described by words alone. Though we may delve deep inside our souls to scrape the very essence of our being to the surface for the world to see, all the delving in the world is worthless without someone to refill us with something better—a heightened awareness of all that’s beautiful in ourselves and in our world. Isn’t it poetic?

Published by Andrew Blitman

Andrew Blitman is a poet and artist who is also the webmaster of this blog. He is the published author of 13 books, including "Birthright 2012: A Voyage into the Heart and Soul of Israel" and the "Wild Writers" Series. He can be reached at this e-mail address: andrew.blitman@gmail.com View all posts by Andrew Blitman