I respect you, Laradr. And yes, love can be thrown about all willy nilly. As much as we try, there are going to be times where we hurt those around us. I've done it myself many times, and I assure you that most of those times, it was not intentional. It does hurt when someone tells you they 'love you' and then they decide they don't want to anymore. Respect does cover a larger range of human emotions, but should we be thinking of our emotions in that way?

Oh, and thanks for getting my humor!

The nice thing about love is that it can be anyone. I definitely admire you for loving your kids. That's one of the most important things in the world.

Oh, that is simply awesome. Thanks for sharing that!

I think it depends on the bug!

Maybe love means something different to you. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Love.

If there were no such word as 'love', our vocabulary would be much richer. We would have to struggle harder to find the right words. Everyone would be so long-winded and Shakespearean in their range of emotional expression. The word 'love' came along and wiped out all sorts of terms in a giant, symantical bloodbath.

Without the word 'love', people would speak of sensations, like the sensation of standing waist-deep in a tub of warm plum sauce. Or the sensation of being tickled on the back of the knees. Some would say they just swallowed a honey-soaked boxing glove, and others would say that they had been feeling like their guts had been yanked out and spread out all over the kitchen floor.

Without the word 'love', we would get wedding invitations that say things like, "On June the 13th, join us at the Five Holy Martyrs Church of Worship to help celebrate Barry Lazinsky's feeling of aimless goodwill, that he's decided to direct onto Robin Krewkta, who's receptive to the idea of being with a man, who she's fairly certain, will never inflict hurt on her."

Sometimes, we call something 'love' because we don't know what else to call it. And sometimes, there are no other words to describe it. Love could be defined in many ways, but I like this one: love is just the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in that recognition.

Aww, thanks everyone! You all are very kind.

Haha...I remembered I have posted before. Silly me. :)

I can't say that I'm new, but I don't think I've posted on the forums yet. I just wanted to say hello and wish everyone well this evening.

So, hello. I wish you well. :)

Friendships? No. Dating? Maybe.

The longest relationship I was in was a little less than 3 years. I don't want to sound conceited or make you all think that I'm full of myself, but I did *nothing* wrong. Not a thing. I was always respectful, romantic, and never forgot a special occasion. I baked cakes, bought presents, hung out her and her friends over the guys, and went to chick flicks. There's nothing wrong with that. ;) But, I gave it my all. I mean, the girl I dated and I are still good friends.

I haven't dated since. Not because I don't want to, but that's a big commitment and I don't know if I'm ready to give another person the chance to get close. That's a lot of work, and to not know the outcome of the relationship worries me. I know it's a give-and-take thing, but a committed relationship should be like a solid investment. You know?

Good topic.

I could really go for some chocolate chip waffles!

I used to live in Cambridge, and now in good ol' Newark, well, N'erk But I've through Zanesville many times. It certainly isn't the most happenin' place, but there are worse places.