This is love:

To lay down one’s life for a friend, figuratively or not;

Even greater, to lay down one’s life for a stranger;

To know what it takes to bring about a new life and choose to do it anyway;

To know what it takes to raise a helpless one and choose to do it anyway;

To see ways out of suffering and choose it anyway;

To not feel like doing it and choose to do it anyway;

To shield young ones from the scorching sun or keep them warm from the pouring rain;

This is love: to choose to love;

A deliberate, intentional, and ever-demanding choice or decision;

To sacrifice one’s interests, plans, feelings, and ultimately “self” for something not so pleasant on the surface;

To go to the house of those mourning instead of a house of those feasting;

To give kindness, patience, gracious words, acts of service, gifts, and compassion to those on our paths;

To leave the feeling for a moment and just do;

To choose “self” last, for there’s nothing greater than this;

To give, for it’s only in giving that we can receive.