What is love? Love is the most misused word in the English language. It is often defined as, “an intense  feeling of deep attraction.” Yet love is much more than a feeling. “Love isn’t just a feeling but it’s something that is constantly reminding people to be their best for their significant other,” said senior Daniela Esquibias. When you love someone, you do not just feel a certain way about them. You show them why you feel that way. Love is an action. It’s when you decide that something has meaning to you and you want to care for it no matter what.

In a biblical sense, there are four main types of love. The four main types are eros, storge, philia, and agape. Eros is often used to describe sensual or romantic love. This happens when there is a physical attraction between two people, most commonly resulting in marriage. Storge is family love. It is a significant bond that is formed with your parents and relatives. Philia is love that runs deep in a true friendship. It expresses a love that is meant to care and be compassionate to those in need. Agape is the highest form of love. It is the fatherly love of God for humans. It is a pure and sacrificial love.

Love is unconditional. There may come a time where you encounter someone who has brought the meaning of love to life. You may think they are your soulmate, and they will love you always. So, what is a soulmate?

In the TV show Dawson’s Creek, Lily Leery asks her brother Dawson Leery what is a soulmate, and he responds with this passage:

“What’s a soulmate?

It’s uh… Well, it’s like a best friend but more. It’s the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It’s someone who makes you a better person. Actually, they don’t make you a better person, you do that yourself – because they inspire you. A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever. It’s the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did, or when no one else would. And no matter what happens, you will always love them. Nothing can ever change that.”
― Dawson Leery

Some believe they are destined to have a soulmate while others believe that not everyone is destined for one.  “I think that some people will be lucky enough to find someone who they have that instant connection, but I don’t think everyone will experience,” said Daniela Esquibias. Yet you can learn to love someone with such a deep intensity that they can become your soulmate. “It won’t always be the first person, but you’ll know when it is,” said senior Orlando Marcano.  

A soulmate is someone who you were meant to find. They are the one person who stood by your side on your darkest days and brightest moments. You both share an unbreakable bond that is rooted in love. The words soulmate and love may seem simple, but our connotation of them would have a stronger meaning if they were used in their correct form. Throughout the years, both words have been defined differently according to each individual person but in the end they have a similar meaning. A soulmate can be anyone and love is what makes us human. Yet we change the lives of many through both.