What is love?

As we grow up, since our earliest formation, we are exposed to and modeled what love is, but how much we know about it still varies from person to person. Love may be going to work and finding your lunch packed. It may be your mom’s favorite dish there waiting for you. It may be a hug, a specific word, or an action. Each person is a world and learns just as uniquely what love is or what it is not. In a spirit of defiance to the eternal romantic, and meaning no offense, what are the butterflies? What is love?

Love is an addiction, a good one, most of the time. In a brute and unfurnished way, this can be scientifically explained, for you see, love is a set of chemical reactions that occur mainly in the brain, not in the heart. A group of hormones such as dopamine, norepinephrine, oxytocin, testosterone, estrogen, vasopressin, and serotonin is responsible for these butterflies. The addiction begins as we release all those hormones when we meet a potential partner. We get energetic, clumsy, and euphoric, and as a result, we are distracted, insomniac and a tad bit obsessed. We start needing this person and our interactions with them to get that hit, that high.

This lovely addiction called love is precisely why breakups or disillusions hurt so badly. Heartbreak is real and quite painful, for we no longer have that reward, those chemicals. You get withdrawals, you lose sleep, or you try to replace the feeling with a quick fix or hookup that leaves everything worse.

Yet, now that we know more about the scientific aspect of love. Heartbreaks are never the end. Having positive habits, good people as your support, eating healthy, and hydrating are always great ways to get better soon. If this is you, don’t be a victim of your brain hormones. In just a few days, your brain will realize this torture is not suitable for you and will begin to provide you peace and rest so you may get better.

Love might have a science, but it still has its magic. When you hear love is in the air, it is true. Love doesn’t have to be a person or a relationship with someone. Love is everything that makes you happy. It is the things you adore doing. Love is peace in your heart, the smile of someone you care about. Love is the way you live your life. Plain and simple, so don’t fret if you have no one to give or to get chocolates from. Celebrate yourself.

If you are lucky to have someone who shares your values, grows with you, and lifts you when down, take care of them. If you decide to become addicted to each other and revolutionize this into a healthy dosage, celebrate this. One thing this writer has learned in life is that love is good, and romantic love does not hurt ever. It thrives. It nourishes and grows in you and with you. My wife has taught me this well, and I write this for her. You see, before her, I knew not what love was except for that of my family. I love you, my wife.

By Alejandra Sanchez