February is known to be the month of love. For some it may be

the month that needs to fly by, and for others this is a time of

nothing but smiles, kisses and laughs.

February is known to be the month of love. For some it may be the month that needs to fly by, and for others this is a time of nothing but smiles, kisses and laughs. No matter if you celebrate the holiday of Valentine’s Day or not, this is the time to reflect on what love means to you. Love is a feeling we all encounter, whether it be in a relationship, with friends or with the unconditional love that should live within your family. But, it’s the feeling of love, and how we describe it when it gets a little fuzzy and when we realize there may not be a true definition of this word. Me being in love at the moment does not change my views toward how I feel about love; it only enhances that feeling. I’ve learned true love is a selfless act. Love is a new experience everyday. It brings new challenges, joys, smiles, and feelings each day. Love is that feeling that introduces fear, it takes away your sense of control and strips you of the person you were before you encountered what love was. It is that feeling that often leaves most speechless, at a lost for words or even confused.

Love is a feeling that is taught, whether it be from family influences, friendships or even failed relationships. I was blessed to have positive images of love around me growing up. For example, my parents’ relationship, my grandparent’s relationship and even the friends my parents hung out with. Everyone was in love, happily married and successful. They didn’t hide the challenges they faced within their relationships, but it wasn’t superficial at any means. Seeing this only allowed me to know love is possible, love is not perfect but it can work. Since no one person has had the same experience with love, there are many definitions, feelings and expressions of love today. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to interview my fellow staff of the newspaper, to see their views on love, Valentines Day and how love has impacted them.

What is your definition of love?

Karmen (Sports Editor): two people who care about each other enough as to where they put each other before themselves.

Courtney (Business Manager): Love is outstanding; it is hard to define, because it takes on different characteristics. I think there are different ways you can view love, whether it’s in friendships, family or different environments. Love is like water; it takes on whatever shape it is in.

Sylvia (Managing Editor): Love is the only spontaneous act left on this planet, to me loving someone means putting their needs before yours

Ken (Photo Editor): love is unconditional; it’s the butterflies you feel in your stomach when you’re around that person.

How do you compare your views of love now, to what your version was growing up?

Sylvia: I never grew up seeing love because my parents did not have a good marriage; they got divorced. So to me I didn’t realize that I didn’t know how to love until I was in love for the first time and didn’t know what to do. Like I knew what the feeling was, but I didn’t know how to act about it. Coming from a broken home I had to learn by myself how to love someone else.

Kelcie (Editor-in-Chief): I haven’t been in many relationships. My family, we’re close, but we don’t throw around the “L” word a lot. I feel like the way I view love is still the same as when I was younger. It’s still kind of weird telling my family I love them, because that’s how we were raised. We’re always there for each other and care for each other; with us it’s more about actions and not words.

Trumaine (Opinions Editor): When I was younger it was a lusty kind of love, like I love this person because they meet certain requirements. Then I could see if I loved this person. Now with the situation I’m currently in, I love this person now, because this person brings the best out of me. When I say bring the best out of me I mean I’m no longer thinking of just me, I’m now thinking of us. Like when going grocery shopping I find myself wondering what would she want to eat, opposed to what I just want. But love to me used to be a me and you, but now it’s an us.

Justine (Copy Editor): There was a time when I didn’t believe in love, other than the love you had with friends and family. But now I do believe in love, I just hate that people use the word love so lightly, it’s like they just throw the word around without realize there is a feeling associated.

Are you in love now? How would you describe that feeling?

Sylvia: Yes…It’s a hard feeling to describe. To me this time, falling in love was more instant than it ever has been before. Like before it wasn’t a feeling I felt right off the bat, but I didn’t understand why. So that’s when I understood love is a feeling that you can’t control. It’s kind of your soul recognizing its match, before you do.

Courtney: Yes. It’s funny to ask that question being in love after the first real argument; it’s been about a year. It feels amazing, it’s crazy. I want to paint it into this picture of everything being a perfect fairytale and everything being great, but it really isn’t. But that doesn’t change that feeling of when you see that person in the middle of the day. Like I’m smiling like a little geek right now just thinking about it. But it is, it’s butterflies, but just like it’s butterflies, it’s hard work too.

What are your views on Valentines Day?

Karmen: I really don’t see Valentine’s Day as a necessary holiday. I think its more of a holiday for candy stores and markets trying to make money. I just feel you don’t need a holiday to show how you feel about someone.

Trumaine: I used to think Valentine’s Day was stupid, and it’s just a female holiday for them to get gifts, but now I think it’s just a day of reflection for the relationship. Just like an anniversary; it’s whatever you put into it. But it’s a day of reflection to see where you’ve gone from when you started to where you are now as a couple.

Sylvia: I love Valentine’s Day! It’s not because I’m in love and in a relationship, I loved it when I was single too. I’m a really sentimental person and people always say ‘it’s a hallmark thing, why do you need a day?’ but to me, why not? If they give you that day, why not use it instead of knocking it. It shouldn’t be the only day you use to show your feelings towards the person you love, but it is a good reminder. A reminder to take a day out for the person you love and just do something nice for them.

Justine: It’s stupid because people do all this crazy stuff for one day just to show the person they love how they feel, but what about the other 364 days in the year? This day should not be any more special than any other day, the love should be felt everyday.

[email protected] And follow us on Twitter @ATRegister

• Ashley Vaughn, Scene Editor