The Strong Emotion of Love

The Christmas Presents
What is the one emotion that has everyone feel? What is the one emotion that has started as many wars as it has ended? What emotion has had more plays, songs, and stories written about it than anything else? Love, that one emotion that makes enemies into friends and friends into enemies. So many legends surround this emotion.
Love comes in so many different levels, that it doesn't appear to be the same emotion at all, but it is. There is so much to love, that it will be hard to put into this simple essay. It can tear people apart and make us do irrational things to bringing together entire nations. What can this emotion not do? It's hard to tell, but there is a lot it can, and one example is what Della and Jim made for their love in the story the Christmas Present.
This emotion, bring tears to our eyes when something happens to our family members, friends, boyfriend or husband. When we feel love ripped from us, as in death, we do things we wouldn't normally do, such as go on violent rampages, or mourn to the extent that our loved ones have to watch us constantly to make sure we don't try anything like suicide. Some can move on, always remembering the lost loved one after a while, but others can not let go. These are the ones that need our love and support the most.

There are so many levels to love, that I can only express a few of them here. These are the ones we see most in life. Friendship starts this list off. Yes, it does not seem like it, but we do feel love towards our friends, this is what helps us get along so well, and why we miss them when we do not see our friends for a long time. It is also why we hold certain friends over others no matter what happens. Sometimes, the bond between friends deepens to the point where a stronger bond of love is made, making them family.
Another level of love, are for our siblings and other family members. Even though we do things to our family members, and sometimes we do not like some of our family, that bond is still there. It is this family bond level of love that brought about the phrase, blood is thicker than water. We will do things for our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and children before we would even consider doing them for anyone else. Many wars have been started because of this family level, brother avenging brother or father, father protecting his wife and children, or even vice versa. This simple family bond can even extend to include our pets, amazingly enough, and that is a good thing. Sadly, sometimes we do not appreciate each one of our family members, until we lost them or we left silly things apart because we always think that there is a future for everybody, and we will have time later. This is one of my biggest mistakes in my life.
A third level to love, is the bond that brings man and woman together. This level is among the strongest of them all. It is this level of love that has brought together kingdoms into nations in the past, and ended many great wars. It is brought together families that have argued for years and years, such as in the Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet. Even though the two mentioned killed themselves in the end, it still brought their families together. For love we can do any crazy thing that we never imagine, even cut our hair or spend all our money, to buy a house or get married.
The last mentionable level of love is that bond between a mother and her children. There is no stronger, nor will there ever be. This bond starts from the very first tiny fluttering of movement and never ends, even after death of the child. A mother protects her children in the name of love, and directs them through life using it as the example to follow. Well, at least it should be. It is because of her children a mother will work at a job she hates, just to make sure they have everything they could ever want or need.
The phrase, love makes the world go round is very true. It is our driving force, for whatever reason it may be. Poems, plays, and legends can only briefly touch the true meaning of love. We can only feel what that meaning is, and express it in ways only we can understand towards another. The true question we should be asking is not, what is life, but what is love.

Love is the greatest gift we can ever hope to give or receive. Love is the one thing that can overcome so many of the difficult times that we are faced with in life. Love is so powerful it can turn frowns into smiles. It can help mend the most broken heart. It can even turn all of the ugliness in the world into the most beautiful portrait we could ever have the pleasure to behold.
Such a monumental task of course... it could be. But only if we try to do it alone. Instead, if each one of us, in our own small way contributed just a little together, the task can become the reality we were reaching for.
As potent as what love can be, it can only work it is magic if we choose to allow it to. For that to come to pass we must let go of the other emotions that can get in love's way. How is that you may wonder? Consider the thought that… Anger it is normal, but holding on to it indefinitely is not really necessary. Let it go... Forgiveness is so much better for the soul than holding on to a grudge. Not only will the person you are angry at be happier but so will you. Harshness, harsh words take just as much effort and energy as kind ones do. Why not consider your choice of words before you speak them and choose gentler ones to get your point across.
Sacrifice: love is not a sacrifice when love is true and pure, but sometimes we have to do sacrifices for the other just for a smile or to please the other one. Why should I sacrifice my beautiful hair just to buy a present, or spend my money to buy a small gift? The answer is simple, because of love. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, we all make them! So when someone else does, forgive them as you hope others would do for you and never think in revenge, someone always gets hurt by this one and not always the one you expect to... Why take that risk?
Love sometimes could be hard to understand, but love is not a thought is a feeling, you suppose to feel love, not understand it. Set expectation low enough that they are achievable, not so high that you fail to reach them. No one wants to feel like a failure, neither you or the other person. If you do not expect too much you will not be disappointed.
Take the time to know each other's heart, when you do you will be more understanding and less apt to misunderstand another's intentions, which probably were never meant to hurt or upset you to begin with.
What is love? I do not know, but I will do what I can to express it to my family, boyfriend, friends and students, and to every single pet I have or ever will own in the best possible way that I can.