What Is Love

A loving circle of family lived in a tiny village that landed on the slope of a rolling hill. This family became one of the most unique because it included not only the mother, father, two daughters, two sons, and grandparents who lived together, but also a friendly cat and an energetic dog.

Jill, the youngest son, looked up at his circle of relatives with wide, inquiring eyes one gorgeous morning when the sun peeked over the hill. He had a question simmering in his heart, and it turned into a question that he absolutely had to ask.

“Hey, what is love?” Jill asked. His voice was packed with harmless surprise.

His mother, Mary, smiled and said, “After I make your favorite cookies, I know they make you happy. When I strongly hug you while you are upset, it makes you happy. So that is love.”

Jill asked with a warming heart. “So, love is doing what matters to make others happy?”

“Yes, exactly,” Mary spoke back, ruffling Jill’s hair.

Encouraged, Jill turned to his father, John, who always nurtured the garden. “Dad, what is love?”

John laid down his gardening equipment and checked out Jill, his eyes twinkling. “Love, my boy, is when I plant those seeds inside the soil. I nurture them, take care of them, and watch them grow into lovely plant life. Just like I nurture and take care of you, supporting you as you develop into a lovely person.”

Jill’s heart was filled with warmth. “So, love is like taking care of factors and helping them develop?”

“Exactly,” John said with a proud smile.

Next, Jill went to his elder sister, Sarah, who became busy studying an e-book. “Sarah, what’s love?”

Sarah closed her book and gave Jill a loving reply. “Love, little brother, when I am busy with my work, I pay my attention to you when you want to speak to me. It’s completely there for you, regardless of what. Then you get happy.”

Jill felt touched. “So, love is being there for someone when they want you?”

Sarah agreed, her smile full of love.

Jill’s interest did not keep him from going. He walked over to his grandparents, who were sitting on the porch. “Grandma, Grandpa, what is love?”

Jill’s head was gently touched by Grandma Mary. “Love, dear, is when we tell you stories from our past so you can learn from our experience.” It is the way we pass on our knowledge to the next generation.”

Jill asked. “So, love is sharing tales and know-how?”

Grandpa Jane agreed with a twinkle in his eye. “You got it, Jill.”

It was now time for Jill to turn to his lovely friends. He went to Cathy the cat and asked, “Cathy, what is love?”

Cathy yawned and stretched, her tail waving lazily. “Love, Jill, is that while you massage behind my ears and feed me yummy food, it gives me pleasure.”

Jill laughed, feeling a sense of closeness with Cathy. “So, love is making a person feel glad and cherished?”

Cathy blinked her eyes in agreement.

Finally, Jill turned to his loyal friend, Max, and asked, “Max, what’s love?”

Max barked happily while shaking his tail. “Love, Jill, is when I see you after a long day and I can’t stop smiling. It’s the pleasure of being with you and guarding you.”

Jill’s heart was filled with warmth. “So, love is feeling comfortable and protecting?”

Max barked again, his answer clear.

With each solution he received, Jill’s understanding of love grew. Love wasn’t just a word; it became a feeling that made human beings and animals do things that made others happy. It was about being concerned, sharing, nurturing, and being there for one another.

Jill understood his circle of relatives or even his beloved pets in his kind heart from that day onward. He thought love was the most magical thing in the world, and he stated to himself that he would spread love wherever he went, just as his own family had.

So, in that small village on the hillside, the family, together with Cathy the cat and Max the dog, continued to live a life full of love, kindness, and the joy of making everyone happy. Because, as Jill discovered, that is the true core of affection.