What is love? Is it an unbreakable bond between mother and child or a natural quest reserved only for lovers? Is it a fathomable aspect of human emotion or is it an illusion that transforms faster than the moon changes phases? The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines love as “strong affection or liking for someone or something”, but present-day teenage culture has proven that being in love can change between class periods. To me, love is just a four letter word that tries to define a sensation out of its league. “I LOVE your shoes!”, “I LOVE this pizza.”, “I LOVE you, but I’m not ready for a commitment.”, “ily <333 lol ttyl”. Since when was it acceptable to abbreviate something so passionate? In a perfect world, love would not be aimed at the superficial likings of today and would be defined as: “GO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF (and stop listening to phony love songs)”. Alas, in this imperfect society, I am forced to tell you that love is need for someone or something. Need, desire, and yearning. It’s an intensity that can glue people together against their will.

What I am talking about is true, blue, “Be still, my beating heart” love. Not the three-syllable phrase that is gargled around after a one month “anniversary”. Love can take many forms, but taken as a whole it is hard work that cannot be achieved merely through late-night texting. We, as humans, only work hard for the things that we need. Parents work hard to provide food and shelter. Students work hard in school for an education. Athletes work hard because their sport generates a type of bliss that is irreplaceable. Similarly, lovers (this includes family) must work hard if they expect to maintain a resilient relationship.

“Resilient?” You may ask. Why, yes. Resilient. Take the classic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, for example. Their love was so strong that love’s worst enemy (hatred) could not overtake it. SPOILER WARNING. So what if they both ended up dead, stabbed, or betrayed? They loved each other until the last breath and everybody knows it must have been hard work for Romeo to climb up to Juliet’s balcony like he did.