Love. What is it really? Some people say love is what you get when two people begin to go on dates, hang out, and hold hands. Some people say love is never accomplished because the human race has yet to learn its true purpose. But is that really what it is?

Love is definitely not what you think. Love can be shown in the simplest of acts. When you hug a sibling, you are expressing love. When you look into a friend’s eyes and think, “gosh, I’m glad they’re here,” you are expressing love. When you get down on one knee and look up at the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you are expressing love. Even the simple act of saying sorry is expressing love.

Love is not about showing affection for someone. Love is about making yourself a better person by spreading happiness. Happiness IS love.

Love is a vast, unexplored territory, similar to an enormous ravine, like the Grand Canyon. Most people run to the edge, tempted to look down and lean out. Some even wonder what it would be like to fall. But nearly none of them are willing to jump.

Of course, jumping will be a great risk. If you jump with nothing to help you, only your courage, you will crash, bang, and hit the bottom of the ravine, severely injured, maybe even worse.

That is what a parachute is for. A parachute shows that you are prepared. When you jump, you will glide gently down to the bottom. Though, you will need to be careful which parachute you pick. The one with holes will obviously not work.

The other way is to build a stairway or a ladder. This helps you and your companions get to the bottom safely, as well as everyone behind you. You could create a new route that would help everyone.

But some people are unwilling to take the risks, and they simply lean over the edge.

The message is that love is a ravine. You must find a way to the bottom or continue to live staring at it. You can forge a path for yourself that might suit you best, but would not be accessible to others. You could also forge a path that others can use.

By loving a community, you can forge a community path. A path that others would help you forge. Each path is made of small deeds and acts built up over time. You could give twenty bucks to a homeless person, or you could start a community garden. These acts are what make your community great because it is full of love.

Some people are more ambitious and do larger acts and deeds, such as becoming a scientist to stop global warming or becoming a pacifist for world peace. The problems of the world were created by hate, the opposite of love. Don’t love to hate. Hate not loving.

Because that’s what the world needs. It needs love. It needs you to do a few simple acts and deeds to forge a path. It needs everyone to forge a path. The world is made of paths. These paths are made from YOUR love.