Say what Love

Love...What is love? I was lost in thought for a long time finding a definition for love, but couldn't. Then I referred the dictionary. The Oxford dictionary says that love is a strong feeling of deep affection for somebody or something. I am not satisfied with this at all, but what to do? In my case, I don't have words to give a definition to love.

There can be many categories of love. Take a parents' love into consideration. From the moment of the birth of a child, the one and the only thing he looks for is love. He doesn't realize that he's searching for love, but getting the affection and warmth of parents is the first love everyone needs. What I believe is love shouldn't be hidden.

It must be exposed. It must be shown. Most parents think that showing love is only petting the child. That is where they go wrong. They should treat children with kind words and warm hugs. I am not taking about abolishing the gap between parents and children. Parents should know to keep the respect between a parent and a child, while giving maximum love to their children.

Punishing a child for wrong things should also be done, but that anger shouldn't be kept by parents for a long time. They should always talk to the children and should show that they are the child's best friends so that children confide and tell them anything.

Everyone knows even a few kind words can make many changes in society. And the other important thing is appreciation.

Whenever a child does a good thing, he should be appreciated then and there by parents. Some parents keep all the appreciation in their hearts without letting the child know. But they don't know that a little appreciation can give great courage to do something more intelligently next time.

Parents should always give the impression to the children that they are the best children in the world. Then I am sure, they will never tend to go wrong because they don't like to lose the trust parents have in them. In my view, the mother is the main character in a family and she can make or mar the family.

There may be problems between a father and mother. But the mother should know not to show these weaknesses to the children. Because children are just blooming flowers and they have a long way to go without getting fed up of this life.

Every night if parents, specially the mother can ask from the child what happened in school, what they did etc., that is the best way to build up a very good relationship between the parents and the children. Because they know whatever happens to them (good or bad) there's somebody at home to share it with them and that gives strength to face any problem they face.

When a child enters society he or she gains the love from the relations and friends and other outsiders. Among them I think friends take the main place. Who is a good friend? He is a person you know well and like. A friend can do a very big job by giving maximum love. But how? He or she should be with us all the time whenever we're happy or sad.

A good friend is a good listener and a good advisor. In your lifetime you may have found lot of friends. But count and see, how many of them are keeping in tough with you by now. I'm sure it is less than the number of fingers in your hands.

Take some time and think what qualities of them and of you make them keep in touch with you forever. They are best friends. Anybody will get afraid to lose a good friend. If you are a good friend, you've done a very big thing not only to your friend, but also for the moral development of society. Such friends are appreciated by the whole world.

Dulamini Namaratne