What is Love?

The other day I was thinking about love and all the different parts of it. There's the "I love this song!" or "I love pepperoni pizza!" or "Talk to you later, love you." or "Happy Birthday, love Grace" and then there's the kind where you know everything about someone and they do things that annoy you but they also do things that make you happier than you've ever been before, and you love them. That's a really good kind. 

Then there's all the ways that people show love. Sharing your last fry, driving someone home, going the extra mile, writing a friendly note, drawing them a picture, holding the door, sharing your jacket, sharing headphones, "I thought of you when I heard this song", "Can I tell you something?", telling jokes, sitting in silence with someone, surprise parties, hugging just because you can, when you put your arm around someone and they just kinda snuggle right in and everything is perfect and everything fits just right, holding hands, making breakfast, "I'm listening", getting the pizza they like most, dates, giving presents, cheering someone up, letting someone go, wrestling your dog, sleeping with your cat, letting your head fall on someone's shoulder, appreciating what they appreciate, pats on the head, crying on your friends floor, kissing someone's cheek or the top of their head, high fives and fist bumps, reading books out loud, getting butterflies thinking about someone, complimenting strangers, remembering someone's birthday, noticing someone's haircut, smiling across a room, buying someone lunch, tackling someone from behind, fixing someone's hair, and so so much more. 

The real question we have to ask ourselves is, why don't we give this love more freely? Why do some people keep everything bottled up inside them, or worse yet, let all the emotions out in the wrong way? I know that I'm never happier than when I'm truly loving other people, and I never regret it. I never regret playing catch with my little brother. I never regret laying in the grass with my dog's head on my lap. I never regret playing what starts as a short game of ping pong against my grandpa that turns into us talking and playing for an hour. I never regret complimenting a stranger in the middle of The Cheesecake Factory on her boots. I never regret spending $3 on a lemonade and Reese's for a friend who's having a hard time. I never regret sharing my testimony. I never regret paying for a friend to get into a football game when she forgets money. The list goes on. 

The point is, why would you stop yourself from doing something that would make others and yourself happy? I mean if not that, then why are we here? I make it a point to try and lift up everyone that I meet. If I can be the one person that makes their day just a little bit brighter, then I don't want to miss the opportunity to share Heavenly Father's love for them because of fear. Every morning I pray that I can find the person who needs me today, and be able to hear the Spirit loud and clear telling me what to do. Then I pray for the courage to follow through. I can't tell you how many times I have seen this work. One of the biggest examples of this is my friend Zack. Zack moved here right before school started this year, all the way from Vermont. He rode my bus and for a few weeks I noticed him sitting by himself staring out the window. Immediately I got those thoughts. You know what I'm talking about. "Why isn't anyone talking to him? Ah well, someone else will I'm sure." Suddenly I realized the sheer stupidity of these thoughts. I mean, hello?! Could my mission be any clearer? I quickly shoved aside those nerves and sat right by him. I introduced myself and he said I had a pretty name. I knew right away that we were going to be fast friends. It turns out that Zack was an excellent talker. That day alone I learned TONS about him and we exchanged numbers. I got home and he texted me and I remember feeling like a million bucks. I was doing good! We talked every day for weeks on the bus, through texts, and sometimes for an hour standing on the sidewalk. I invited him to a party my friend was hosting so I could introduce him to everyone that I love. I saw his car pull up and him standing hesitantly on the sidewalk. I ran down towards him and said hello, when his mom stepped out of the car as well. I stuck out my hand for a handshake (cue awkward Grace) but to my surprise she pulled me into one of the warmest hugs I've ever received. Into my ear she said, "You must be Grace! It's so nice to meet you, I can't thank you enough." I truly thought I was going to cry on this woman's shoulder whom I had never met before. Not only did she make me feel like an angel for befriending her son, but she looked like Mrs. Weasley. Moments like that are what make the scary parts worth it. I don't know what would've happened to Zack if I hadn't talked to him. I'm sure his life wouldn't have been totally over, but I know that I was supposed to sit by him that day on the bus and be his friend. Nowadays I haven't been talking to him as much, simply because I never see him and he has a new group of friends that he seems to fit in really well with. So no, maybe I wasn't supposed to be his best friend forever and ever. Maybe all I was supposed to do was be the one person who let him know that he wasn't alone. If so, then I think I did a good job, and I'm proud of myself for that. 

Here's to changing the world.