What is love?

What is love?
Baby, don't hurt me
Don't hurt me no more
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me no more

What is love?
Yeah

Read more: Haddaway - What Is Love Lyrics | MetroLyrics

I grew up with this classic song.  There are other lyrics but these are the only ones that I remember.  Growing up in a home with an abusive father (not physically, to me), this low bar for affection seemed inevitable.

Spoiler Alert: I have a great husband who is amazingly not manipulative, or abusive in any way, wow!

So for a long time I've had this discomfort when people tell me they love me, except for P, and my children.  I guess I thought love meant you'd be willing to let them spit in your hand if need be.  And really there are not many people I'd do that for.  Hence, P and the children being the only ones that I was not uncomfortable with the proclamation of love.

But people say "I love you" often.  To me.  Strange.

This week I learned a new definition that allows me to declare love for everyone!  Loving someone means you want them to be happy.   This is a major epiphany for me.  Now when someone says "I love you" they are saying "I want you to be happy!"  And that is way more generally welcome than "I"d let you spit in my hand if you needed to!"

So, blog readers, all 6 of you, (who am I kidding), I love you.