Just a quick note here before I begin. I've moved all my promotions to 
Love · 9:21am May 6th, 2015
I once made a blog about family. I think it's time I made one about love.
(Written to: OneRepublic — Burning Bridges)
Love.
Ask anyone what the meaning of life is, and their answer most likely will be love.
There are many kinds of love. The Greeks had four words for love: storge, the love between parents and children; philia, the love between friends; eros, romantic love, especially physical love; and agape, or eternal love—brotherly love, or the love between God and men. Still there are other kinds of love, like the love for one's country, or the bonds we form between our furry (or feathered, or scaly) friends.
Without going too deep into philosophy or religion, I will make the bold claim that the latter of the four loves—agape and eros—can be, and are often, intertwined, especially when we finally find the person we've been looking for all along.
The concept of "the One" seems odd on the surface. After all, out of seven billion people on this Earth, can there really only be one person meant for each of us? How are we supposed to know when we've met them? What happens if we don't? What happens if we do and it doesn't work out? Are we then destined for solitude? Has our only chance at love—and, thus, meaning—gone down the drain?
Of course not. The truth is that love is all around us. Love waits for us. If we are willing to be open to love, and fight for it, and persist in the face of pain and loss and challenge, then it, too, shall find us. It may take time, more than we expect, but it will find us, in the end.
Love is no predictable beast, though, oh no. Elusive as it is, it's a trickster too, cropping up where we would least expect it. Those who love the city will find their hearts in the country...
And those who live under the wild blue yonder will find themselves under the unsuspecting moon of the insomniac city.
Just as we shall find love in the most extraordinary of places...
Equally so shall we discover it in the most mundane.
We may find love through adventure, through exploration, through diving deep into the Earth, and ourselves.
Or through journeys, short and long, loop and arc, over space and across time.
Friends may become more, the familiar and comforting giving way to the realm of the unknown, the unexplored, the unfamiliar yet beckoning.
Those who we once feared, once hated, once waged war against, may be seen in a new light, and perhaps we will not only learn to tolerate them, accept them, celebrate them, but perhaps we, too, shall love them.
Sometimes, however, love is right in front of us, even if it takes a new perspective to see it.
Even when time erodes what once was, just as the tides breathe with the moon, what once was may soon become what is again.
For if there is anything I truly know, it is that it is never too late to begin again—wake to a new dawn, sleep to a new dusk.
It is never too late to seek forgiveness and fight for redemption, regardless of whatever monster you believe yourself to be.
For in redeeming ourselves, we become more open to the good things life has to offer—growth, knowledge, friendship, family, and, yes, love.
Everyone dreams of kissing in the rain.
Or dancing in the moonlight.
Myself? I dream of kissing in the sunset, embracing in the dying light as the world spins.
We all have our dreams, and we'd best hold fast to them, least we plummet to the Earth.
But if we do, there will always be those who will keep us grounded.
People often debate the eternal query—do opposites really attract?
Or do birds of a feather flock together?
The answer may truly be both and neither.
The answer may be nothing more than, "It's all in the cards."
Because maybe it is not a set of traits that one possesses, or that we share, that ultimately bring us together. Perhaps it is not mutual interests, but mutual experiences, mutual evolution, that creates the strongest bonds, whether we expected them or not.
A brush with mortality may open our eyes to what is the most important.
At the end of a hard day's labor, maybe it is when we realize who has been by our side through our blood, sweat, and tears, that we begin to put the pieces together.
As a child first experiencing the stirrings of love, we may turn to those whose accomplishments mirror our own goals, and whose hearts seem similar to our own.
And as adults looking back on childhood, we may realize that, those who seemed so different from us, weren't that different at all.
We may suddenly understand why our bullies were so adamant on following us on the playground, or why our victims dominated our thoughts more than we cared to admit.
Or we may think back to that first innocent kiss, that first game of Spin the Bottle, and understand why our hearts became jackrabbits then.
The childhood crushes, the awkward romances, the secret admirers—however brief they may have been, they were treasures, little steps taken towards our own understanding of love.
Yet, not are all our childhood opportunities are ground to dust in the wind. What we didn't realize until the wisdom of age, sometimes may still be within our reach.
As adults, the world becomes simultaneously much smaller and more expansive. The freedom to do anything—and to do nothing—can be overwhelming. Some saplings stretch their branches towards the heavens, while others plant their roots in Earth. There is no right or wrong here; such is the nature of our freedom.
Sometimes, we seek someone to be our sky, to grant us the wings we need to dream.
Sometimes, we seek someone to be our roots, to grant us the stability to achieve.
Sometimes, we seek beauty, not of the countenance, but of the soul.
Sometimes, we seek light, not of the burden, but of the heart.
Circumstances may change us, but they do not and will not rule us. Rather than being controlled by our circumstances, by the fall of the dice or the turn of the cards on the felt, we shall embrace them, and become the best we can be in spite of them. For one who is controlled by circumstance is not a master of their fate, nor a captain of their soul; love can be no lighthouse for the captain of such a rudderless ship.
The person we could have been and the person we are can be two different, too different people. But so can be the one we end up loving.
In another life, we may have met another, loved another. But is that a reason not to love what we do have?
No. No, of course not.
Life is not about what-if's, or could-have-been's, or should-be's. Life is about the here and now—experiencing it and embracing it. Life is about living fully, and loving wastefully. Giving love away, freely, to each other, to our neighbor, to those whom we trust with our most sacred heart.
Life and love are about openness. Open eyes, open hearts, in the places we least knew we would need them.
And when we find the one—not the One of mythos, but the one who makes our skies brighter, our roots thicker, and our hearts lighter—we will join our life to theirs. Two shall become one.
And sometimes... one shall become more.
And that's where the magic happens.
Thank you for reading. 
What is Love to You: A Children's Book by Bad_Seed_72
This thought went into my head as I read it, helped by the pictures. Good blog there Bad... Very good...
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Glad you liked it.
... That gives me an idea...
That was beautiful brah.
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That's me giving ideas... planting ideas, and generally being helpful
Great blog. It spoke to me.
Although when I got to the Sunset/Twilight pic, all I could think was 'dat ass'.
Not gonna lie.
A wonderful sentiment
~Twi
Love is the greatest thing there is.
Not being able to have the greatest thing can be the most cruel thing there is
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At least you're honest.
Love you, Maj, you kook.
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I know the feel both ways.
Don't give up hope.
We fall for whom may be, the ones who help us see.
The world in a newer light, when the love is shining bright.
Like the stars light up the night, creating quite a sight.
English isn't my main language, so this isn't too good. Hope anyone found this 'poem' enjoyable at least
(Inspired by the blog)
Great blog, Bad! :D
Also, I didn't want to have to be the one to do this, but it's my duty as someone who came into this comments section on a blog about love and saw a lack of Haddaway.
What a lovely, and absolutely delightful sentiment.
I liked your take on the definition of love, especially the part where you stated that love is everywhere and unpredictable. In conclusion, It was truly worth reading.
Some powerful blog post, Bads,!hope you found love
Truly beautiful. Thank you for making this. I have a feeling I'll be returning to this to read it again and again.
Since I'm Greek I'll give my two bits about this.
Storge/Στοργή:It means tenderness and care. Though not automatic it's often connected with paternal or maternal love. But it's true meaning is deep pure love and devotion. That may apply to any you see yourself as a sort of parent to. Be you mentor, guide, owner of your pet that you're really attached to e.t.c.
Eros/έρως/Έρωτας:First of all Eros was the Greek god of love born out of three possible parents a)The Cosmic egg b)Aphrodite and Ouranos((Uranus)) and c)Aphrodite and Ares. But be careful. If you capitalize the first letter you're speaking of the god, if you don't you're speaking about the act of sex. Though again it's not an automatic connotation eros is the passion of love, the desire for love, the extreme devotion. Eros is the burning flame of love that may burn you if you're not careful. But be careful... when you say "Let's make love" in Greek you say "Ας κάνουμε έρωτα" though through cultural influence we do use the term "sex" mainly because we don't want to "spoil" the beauty of the word with "flesh" or something. Whatever.
Agape/Αγάπη/Love:It's the more broader term for "love". It often combines all the previous terms together and is not something that's easily defined as a word. It's a term that's adaptable in its entirety and can be used for friends and brothers. It's usually the term that's preferred in these cases but not directly connoted to them. All in all those terms are often used according to how appropriate they are according to the situation. This term in specific is used with other words because "I love you." may often be misinterpreted. For example there's "friendly" love or Platonic Love out of Plato the philosopher from Greece.
So yea... all in all there's a lot to talk about here and I like the heartwarming posts you make.
Say... any pics with Chrysalis being in love? What do you think she considers love? Or what do changelings consider love? Just food or power?
Gr8 blog m8, 9/10, or 10/10.
It's beautiful.
Made me to think about things...
After a life-draining night spent at work, this was just what I needed to read and see to make myself smile.
Thank you.
....... Nope. nopenopenopenopenope.
Your blogs have a way of punching me right in the frickin' heart, so no, I refuse to read, at this time. Instead, I will look at the adorable, well drawn ponies, and hope they don't give me a heart attack until I'm less.... feel-y, and am able to read between the pics without the need for open heart surgery.
I can't fully put into words my feelings on this blog post, but this was beautiful, extremely profound, and slightly motivating. Thank you very much, Bad.
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This.
And, of course, the issue of unrequited love.
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Giving up? Nevvvaaahh!
More like accepting.
Turns out the one I felt to be THE ONE was straight
33.media.tumblr.com/e7e7056dd81cc8f254080119c240d04a/tumblr_mrbq5iEIcS1r4qa3ko3_250.gif
Uh.
My first kiss wasn't exactly innocent or something that two kindergartners decided to do.
It was more like one.
And that one was me.
She didn't have much say in it.
Love is dumb.
It doesn't work at all like it does in fiction. In real life, it just happens and you can't do a thing to control it or make it stop or make sure it happens when/where/towards who you want to.
It's duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumb.
Cadance would be pleased
Awwww, that's beautiful.
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And yet, still so much fun when you have it.
This one...just spoke to me, rigt here in my heart. This was really good
Interestingly enough, Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate makes a very similar argument to this.
Anyway, that was quite the assortment of fanarts interspersed with some deep thoughts on love.
Thank you Bad.
I seriously, seriously needed this. It was wonderfully made.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again.
You really have a way with words.
It was like reading an extended poem of beauty, but with pictures that drove home every part of it. I had a walk today where I was already thinking about a lot of things, but this... well, you've just given me more to think about.
This was beautiful. Love is good, but sometimes complicated. Yet it's a natural thing. Thank you for this.
A beautiful blog, Bad.
My only wish is that there was more in there I could relate to.
Wonderful thing to read in the morning (especially right before I go work on my clop). Thanks for sharing this. I've bookmarked it and know I'll be coming back to it whenever I need a reminder of what love is.
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I'm seriously considering letting it play in the background for the full 10 hours, it really is THAT good xD
*leans back in chair* Wow... this... This... This is the most beautiful and deep look at Love that I have ever read and it is wonderful. alot of it strikes a cord with me.. and i feel happy to have read this. The bit about kissing at sunset was beautifully poetic
*ponders*
3048692 This was bound to happen sooner or later, let's be honest.
i.imgur.com/er4Mno8.jpg
Well after reading this blog I hope you enjoy this random song from my favorite list
I don't think I can muster up the words to truly appreciate the effort you put into this post, the richness of the prose, or deepness of the question you sought to answer. So, I'll just do a typical Poptard action, and post a silly gif expressing my sentiment.
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/274/467/1f6.gif
Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more.
Hmmmmmmm, bleh, cheesy!
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We can't go any deeper than that, all the right moves in all the right places. I'll go pick my feels off the ground now.
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I enjoyed it!
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I figured someone would do this.
It needed to be done, lol. Thanks!
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You learn something new every day. Thanks for the detailed explanation.
Very cool stuff right here.
Pics of Chrysalis in love, you say? Well, I'm partial to these:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/3/10/267098__safe_princess+luna_shipping_lesbian_queen+chrysalis_moon_artist-colon-willisninety-dash-six_chrysaluna.jpeg
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/8/28/709662__safe_queen+chrysalis_king+sombra_heart_chrysombra_artist-colon-crystalpone.jpeg
And who can forget Fluffle Puff?
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/7/29/685782__safe_oc_shipping_blushing_lesbian_smile_queen+chrysalis_plushie_eyes+closed_love+heart.png
I would think that Chrysalis in her present, canon state would consider love to be both food and power, both in terms of energy and using it to manipulate or hurt others. I would think that most Changelings would feel the same, unless they journeyed outside of the hive, lived amongst the ponies (or another sentient species), and learned that there is more to love than the energy they gain from it. But Changelings, as well as Chrysalis, are not beyond learning more about love, or even falling in it, I think.
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"Unrequited love really spoils the taste of peanut butter."
—Charles Schulz
Seriously though... Unrequited love is difficult. But that can lead to us letting the right one in.
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Ahhh, I have been there before myself! Luckily, not all of them will be straight.
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Heh, my first kiss wasn't all it was cracked up to be either. Sometimes those experiences are great, sometimes not. I think we as a culture place a little too much value on first times, both in terms of kissing, dating, and sex... A good kiss (or more) is a good kiss, regardless of when it happens.
Also, I chuckled a bit. Silly kindergarten Meta.
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The best things in life are free.
And dumb.
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Y'know, I think Paul Tillich made the same argument too. Been a while since I've read him though. Still, that's pretty cool.
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That was beautiful, thank you!
I'll have to check out more of Nihils.
And thanks everyone, I'm glad you guys enjoyed this.
That was...so beautiful ;^; <3
Just reminds me of my most favorite quote:
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return."
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once again you just made my day. Now I'm going to make someone elses
How did I skip this blog earlier? Oh well, regardless I liked it a lot and it gives me a bit to think about.
you made me cry,
and i don't know if they are happy tears or sad tears.
A beautiful, grand, enchanting, chilling display of what love means to a beautiful, grand, enchanting, chilling soul. Bravo.