What is Love?

I think I remembered something else I wanted to talk about, well a few things actually.
For one, I don't like it when people are under the assumption that someone they know is an absolute angel and that they are perfect in every way, and when I try to tell them otherwise they just shut me out and say I don't know anything. Then they're completely shocked when they find out I was right, gee how do ya like that?
Secondly, I like watching young teens in relationships thinking they're in love, I mean come on you're only 13 and you just met the kid, how do you know? Yes, I believe in love at first sight, but I also believe it's extremely rare, and only a handful of people in the history of the entire world have experienced it. Those are the kinds of people that I like to lecture, cuz they don't know a thing about love. Heck, I was one of them once, so I can speak from experience.
But What IS Love? Sure we see all kinds of couples together, from an abusive, young, relationship to an old, sweet, loyal couple that still holds hands after fifty years of marriage, does just beng in a relationship mean that you know what love is? I say no; take the instance of the abusve young couple that we've all seen. She may even have a black eye whenever you see her, but whenever you do, he is always telling her everything to do, and will NOT take no for an answer, so if he wants something then she gives it to him because she doesn't want him mad at her, and maybe he will reward her with something late at night. The problem is that he thrives on control, and if he doesn't have that control then he uses physical means to get it. The only thing that he truly loves is her body, and he will use it however he wants. She, on the other hand, I don't believe has any idea what love is, because she's just afraid of getting hurt, it's almost like she's just in it so she can tell people that she has a boyfriend or a husband or whatever. I don't think I'll ever understand them, and hopefully someday they will both wake up and realize they were wrong about everything.
Then you go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum; the old, sweet, loyal couple that still holds hands after so long. They know they aren't perfect, they know they have way too many faults, but they work at improving themselves and each other. This is the kind of couple that you will see her or him getting the other whatever they want, but not out of fear, and actually without much asking. If she knows that he has an aching back, she happens to know how to massage, so she goes over and helps him deal with the pain. Instead of control, they thrive on each other's happiness. He could care less what she looked like on the outside, because that's not what he fell in love with; he fell in love with her personality: her humor, her insight, her intuition, her thriftiness, her common sense, everything about who she is. That's why you might see the two ugliest looking people you've ever seen be so in love with each other, because they look at the heart.
Love is a very complicated emotion, and as such is only understood after either many years or after so many broken hearts. I'm not going to say I know exactly what love is, but I think I have a good idea of it. I could write down everything I know about it, but that would take way too long, so here are a few highlights of true, pure love that I've gathered:
-complete loyalty and dedication, thriving off of each other's well-being rather than corrupt feelings
-understanding weaknesses, but not criticizing; instead, helping
-joy at their happiness and upsetting at their sadness
-longing to see the other
-more emotional contact than physical (rather than petting, constant cuddling, or french kissing all the time, you discuss, converse, admire, stare into eyes, or other bonding)
-smiling all the time, especially when you see who the text or call is from
-resolving rather than arguing
-holding hands at every opportunity
-writing back and forth, especially if the other is gone with military or something like that
-constant laughter
-wanting to brag about their significant other at nearly every opportunity, especially during engagement or whenever they do something great and spectacular
-wanting to meet and know all of their friends
-encouragement
-uplifting when they're down for any reason
I could go on, but I think you get the idea, there's no way to describe in words the feeling of love. I remember listening to an old radio show about how aliens destroy every human except for two people whom they study and demand answers about life from. They have also captured a few of every animal on the earth, but after a while they notice that no matter how much they feed and nourish them, they refuse to eat, and they begin dying one by one. When they question the humans, they give a simple answer; Love. Every creature needs love in order to survive, so when they demonstrate by holding and petting a cat, the cat purrs rather loudly and then starts eating the food. Love drives the world, whether it be love of God, love of country, love of friends and family, or love of any worldly thing, love makes the world survive.
God's love for us is so great that He sacrificed His only begotten son so that we can all go back to live with Him again. That, to me, is True, Pure Love, and I'm not sure if anyone on this earth can ever feel that level of love. I do, however, believe that anyone can experience the step below, True Love. You hear about it in stories and fairy tales, but do you ever see it or experience it? Only if you look for it. I once saw a somewhat young (like twenty-five or so) athletic man with his wife at an amusement park. It looked like she had been through better times. Her legs were thin and frail, her face was scarred, and she was using crutches. I'm thinking she was in some terrible accident. The point is I know they were still happily married and in love because they both wore rings that kinda matched, they held hands during all the rides, and at one point I saw her lean over to him and say that she was having a great time, after which he kissed her on the lips, smiled, and told her he loved her. THAT is True Love ... and I think I'm feeling it right now for a special someone :) <3