Love

Back to the 30-day blogging challenge (except I'm doing it in approximately 30 weeks).

The next prompt is: "Your definition of love."

Well, the best definition of love I've ever come across is Robert Heinlein's:

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

Love is an interesting thing. The Greeks had names for four types of love:

Éros which is sexual love (probably the root of the word "erotica").

Philia which is brotherly love (like Philadelphia is the city of Brotherly Love). Or the love between two friends.

Storge is the least mentioned of these, and is the love of parents for their children.

And finally, agápe love which is unconditional love.

I think for an "love" relationship, there has to be a bit of each of those (except storge). Especially agápe. You needs to be friends with your lover, you need sexual attraction (at least until you're, oh, 80), and you need unconditional love.

What is your definition of love? Let me know in the comments below.