25 People On What Love Means To Them (And Why It’s Always A Subjective Experience)

Our relationship with love is one that begins from the time we enter into to this world until the day we depart from it. It’s a relationship so unique to its beholder because our past and present personal experiences impact how we view, share, and conceptualize it. The way we love and feel about ourselves can directly or indirectly impact how receive and give love to others. Only we can truly understand and interpret it within our being. The beauty of love is that it provides great opportunity for us to learn about being human — introspectively and collectively. In the most pure sense, it is what drives the heart, body, and spirit and let’s us transform into our highest and most peaceful potential — if we allow it to exist in our lives with less resistance and choose to embrace it with ease.

We have now entered into the official month of love. Valentine’s Day is soon approaching and many individuals from all over the world will be celebrating the love they have for someone significant in their life. Or it could simply be a celebration of the love you have for yourself. Moreover, if we think about all the types of relationships and love that we have in our lives, it’s something to be celebrated every day. Twenty-five men and women of all ages, relationship phases, and walks of life were asked what love means to them. Now go ahead and ask yourself the same — and share it wholeheartedly with your heart’s desire.

1.) Although he’s sweet and innocent, I feel loved when my boyfriend gets a little jealous… I know he’s afraid to lose me. – Erika, 15

2.) I feel the most loved when she does the little things that show she’s thinking of me, like calling just to ask how my day went. – Sylvester, 21

3.) Love is when someone knows all the wonderful things as well as the not so great things about you, yet cares about you completely. – Maria, 20

4.) It’s being paid attention to in small ways that makes me feel loved. — Anna Sofia, 25

5.) It’s the little things he does to make my life easier. He’ll clean the kitchen while I’m getting the kids ready for bed, letting me sleep in on weekends and getting up with the baby, and picking up a bottle of wine because he knows we don’t have any. – Austin, 25

6.) As soon as he returns home from work, I embrace him to show my appreciation. – Simona, 28

7.) I like to surprise him. I’ve thrown him three surprise birthday parties over the years, but usually I like to give him smaller surprises like making his favorite snack to take to work with a note that he sees first thing when he wakes up. — Zeenie, 31

8.) I feel most loved when he spends quality time with our daughter and me—knowing that there is no place he’d rather be than with us.—Christina, 32

9.) Love is magic of the heart. – Paolo, 33

10.) Love is powerful and transformative, an unexplainable feeling that is the closest thing to the truth. – Emily, 34

11.) He always makes me feel important through small gestures. — Anna Lisa, 37

12.) I feel loved when my wife and I exchange spontaneous gestures such as a kiss, hug, and embrace. I believe this is the result of love. — Gianni, 40

13.) Love is understanding, tolerant, and reciprocal. — Gianna, 41

14.) Love is respect, sincerity, but above all else, it’s magical. – Lidia, 44

15.) By listening to and caring for each other’s needs, we feel equally important and loved. Love is fire that warms the soul. — Roberta, 45

16.) My husband remains to close to my children and me at all times and I know that I can always count on him. – Cristina, 46

17.) I appreciate my wife’s undivided attention therefore I stay as close to her as possible. — Ferdinando, 50

18.) Love is putting your partner’s needs before your own and realizing that nothing has ever felt better. – Lydia, 52

19.) At my age, it’s the discovery that words and gestures are superficial in respect to the depth of feelings one has inside. Once this feeling has taken root, it can never be eliminated. It’s a feeling of pleasurable security and harmony that allows the heart to live with less fear and allows one to live peacefully. — Ester, 52

20.) We are always united in every simple or difficult moment. Together, we give each other support. I stay as close to my wife as possible — it’s the least I can do. – Giuseppe, 56

21.) Love is security, a hug, and quality time. — Paul, 61

22.) He increased my self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth through his support, encouragement, and positive affirmations. I feel loved while being hugged and when he romantically surprises me with beautiful gifts. But most importantly, he’s the most wonderful husband and father to my children. — Lillian, 62

23.) Love is like the bread of everyday life—one must never forget it. Love is looking into his eyes and hearing his sweet whispers while he caresses me.  – Anna, 70

24.) Love is the most important element of being—the exchange of the everyday life joys. –Ezio, 76

25.) Love is not all bells and whistles. There are times that you’re not hugging and kissing every minute, you may think your partner is a pain, and you argue. But by the time you go to sleep, you lie in bed together and talk about the day. It’s the comfort of watching TV in separate rooms, but checking in on each other during the commercials—even in silence. But when they are no longer, there is no one there to talk to you, no more footsteps are heard around the house, and then you realize all the blessings that you had. – Joey, 88