“I love you,” and “I love those shoes.” “I love you,” and “I love this chicken alfredo.” “I love you,” and “I love Ryan Gosling .”

In the English language there is only one word that we give so much meaning to. One word that can shape and change lives. One word that we give so much power. One word that sends our hearts into a frenzy. One word that we yearn to hear. Love is defined as a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person, yet why do we use it to describe other things or people we do not really love?

The reality of how we really use the word “love” in today's world is rather disappointing. We mean to use it as a way to tell a person that we have a strong or constant affection for them, a feeling that fills our bodies with joy. However, we end up using it to describe everything that gives us even a small amount of pleasure for a minimal amount of time. Is it that we feel we are required to use the word love to describe everything? Are people offended if you tell them you like their homemade lasagne vs. telling them you love it?

The other topic of “love” is when you are “in-love”. If you use love to describe the most minimal of things, how is a person, that you definitely do not have minimal affection for, but a deep one, going to understand the difference? Will it be the way you gaze into their eyes ever so shyly that will show them how you feel? Or the tint of your red rosy cheeks? Whatever it is you have to do to show them that the words leaving your lips have more meaning than the love you just declared to the cheese-stuffed-crust-pizza. Even if it is a “No, I mean love you more then this deep dish pizza with cheese stuffed crust!”.

Another problem you come to face with love, is the different people you love. I can flat out say the love you feel for your Mom is not the same you will feel for your significant other. Love can not be thrown into one category for people. Yes, you do love your mom and yes, you will love your significant other, yet these will be a different kind. The love you feel for your mom is the maternal care she gives you, the tenderness she has for you, whilst the love you feel for your significant other is again the feeling of strong or constant affection.

Does the word “love” even matter? With the way our world breaks down the word to almost mean the same as “like”, why should we continue to use it on things we feel have so much importance? Should we create a new word? Or maybe it it time we start to watch the way we use the word “love” in our everyday lives. This one word has started wars and ended them. One word that has brought life as well as death. One word that has a definition but a true feeling behind it that can never be explained or contained by the strongest lock and chain. The word “love” shapes our everyday lives, so perhaps it is time we start to consider using it for the people it deserves to be used on.