It’s February, and if those Valentine’s Day boxes of chocolates in the drugstore, red roses and heart-shaped cards are more annoying than endearing to you, remember: There are various types of love around us all the time, all worthy of celebration.
Love, after all, is not something dependent on one singular romantic partner. Love is something each of us creates from within, every day. We swim in an ocean of love, although we may sometimes lose track of that reality.
Part of cultivating love is noticing the love we already have and finding ways of deepening that joy. While our society tends to focus on romantic love, the ancient Greeks had eight different concepts, many rooted in philosophical concepts, for different types of love:
- Eros, for romantic love
- Philia, for deep friendship and trust
- Storge, for family love, encompassing a sense of belonging
- Ludus, for playful love, such as with a child or in light-hearted friendships
- Pragma, for enduring love, such as long-married couples
- Philautia, for self-love
- Agape, for unconditional and selfless love, the kind you extend with no thought of what you might receive in return
- Xenia, for extending hospitality to travelers and strangers
Take a moment to appreciate how these various forms of love present themselves in your daily life. Just noticing the kindness of a shopkeeper or the playful delight of a child can enrich your daily experience and deepen your own sense of well-being and connection to the larger world. A shared smile, helping hand or moment of understanding can reflect love in one of its simplest forms.
Similarly, there is a form of love we feel in our connection to nature and in exploring and developing our interests, whether that’s a love of art, literature, sports, carpentry or your own passion project.
Finding love is about opening your eyes to the many ways love already surrounds you — quietly shaping who you are.
“There are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.” — Leo Tolstoy