What does love mean to you?

[FizzyPink]

I’m talking about romantic love here. Despite having said “I love you” to a couple of men in my life I realised recently that I don’t actually think I’ve ever been properly in love. Discussing it recently with some friends and what does love feel like, in my opinion a lot of the answers e.g. “wanting to be with that person all the time/being obsessed with them” sound much more like lust to me.
So I’m curious, what does it feel like to be properly in love with someone?

So, who is to judge? Who has the right to say 'You are in love/not in love'?

I don't think there's a standard. It depends on individuals, what they need, what they want, what they can tolerate in others.

Thats a very subjective question - it will be different for everyone. There is no right/wrong answer

Love feels warm and nice. That's it, I love many people in many different ways, for many different reasons. But the actual feeling of being with them is just happy, warm and nice.

But I think I feel happy and warm with a lot of my friends but that’s not romantic love. Surely there’s got to be more to it on a deeper level than just feeling happy in the presence of someone?

I feel contentment, safety, trust, warmth, attraction, laughs, being a team against the world, being best friends
The stomach flipping nervous crazy feeling I've had in the past has never led to love, just worry and anxiety. I know some people are always waiting for that feeling and not settling for anything less.

DH and I have had some very rough patches indeed and the love did disappear for a while over the 20 years we've been together.

The best I can describe is the he is "home" where I feel safe and accepted and I still get a few little butterflies every now and then. I can truly be myself.