What is the True Meaning of Love in a Relationship?

Can anyone define the true meaning of love in a relationship? People often use the word "love" casually in everyday conversation. "I love this house. I love my cat. I love to shopping." What does this really mean? When we use this word so often does its meaning become watered down so it has less impact? Different people may define love in different ways.

Could love be defined as simply to want and hope the best for someone? This is fairly simplistic and not very deep. If this was the definition of love can it explain the deep emotional bond that two people have with each other; those that commit themselves to one another for a lifetime? Not likely. You can want and hope the best for dozens of people that you know. Does this mean you are "in love" with them? This may be too simple to define the true meaning of love in a relationship.

If you say you are in love with someone does that bring forth certain assumptions about your feelings for that person? When people say they are in love we assume that they care for, share with and trust the other person. Are these three things the basis for defining love?

Sometimes that fine line between friendship and love becomes difficult to distinguish. Think about the different aspects of the definition of love that I've listed already - to want and hope the best for someone; to care for, share with and trust someone. These things could define friendship as well, couldn't they? If we use the same words to define love and friendship then how can we distinguish between the two?

I think the definition of love goes much deeper than what is mentioned above. These critiria are components of love but they do not fully define it. There is something else that makes up the true meaning of love in a relationship. This may be something intangible; a feeling that you have that can't be accurately described in words. In any relationship you can develop and work on the caring, sharing and trust. You can't force that special feeling that you have when you are truly in love with someone. It's either there or it isn't.