What is love?

My favorite thing about February is that it seems to be the designated month of love.  It’s the time of the year when people seem to make a conscious effort to show LOVE to their family and friends in one way or another.  Even people that find it hard to say “I love you” and secret admirers feel as though they have a free pass to do so on Valentine’s Day!

Love has many levels of implication, which makes it hard to define and sometimes even harder to understand.  Thankfully, the ancient Greeks tackled the subject long ago and devised terminology to clarify the 7-States of Love:

Storge: natural affection; the love you share with your family

Philio: the love that you have for friends

Eros: the romantic desire kind of love

Agape: this is the unconditional love, or divine love

Ludus: this is playful love, like childish love or flirting

Pragma: long standing love; the love in a married couple

Philautia: the love of the self

The 7-States of Love represent seven different feelings, yet the same word is used to name each one: LOVE.  That’s so confusing, but think of it like this:  Even though you might say ‘I love you' to two different people and mean it, the truth is that you don’t love your mother the same way that you love your significant other, and so on! 

So, how can you clearly communicate your feelings when you say ‘I love you’ without using the actual terminology used by the ancient Greeks?  (I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say something like, “I have philio-love for you!”)   One way is to try using a simile to clarify.  For example:  I love you as a friend; or I love you like family. (There's your ELA connection!)

Love is one of the most important parts of our lives, so understanding the 7-States of Love and how to convey our feelings of LOVE will make a huge impact.    

Remember:  “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Haiku Review: the Valentine's Day Edition

Need a new idea to get the creative juices flowing in your classroom?

The Haiku offers that opportunity to your students by channeling their creativity into this unique form of Japanese poetry. 

Here is a great lesson plan to get you started. (By the way, you can find this lesson, along with many others, in the Unit Studies Section of your Shurley English book!)

EXPAND THE LESSON: VALENTINE'S DAY

You can adapt the directions by creating an example with your students that focuses on the desired holiday or season.  For this example, I focused on creating a haiku to include in a valentine for a mother or grandmother in the life of the student.

Loving me each day

Never giving up on me

My Valentine Mom.

Missing you today

Happy Valentine’s Day, Mom

Hugs up to heaven.

She wakes me each day

With a smile and a big hug -

Now filled, love others!

No other mother

Can fix my crushed, broken heart

She’s just right for me!

Just Grandma and me

Baking her special cookies

Making memories!

Of course, the students can use whatever craft supplies you provide to design a special valentine card, which includes their haiku to bring a smile to someone. Just think, you can help to create lifelong treasures in the families represented in your classroom! I saved many of the special creations of my own son, most of them prompted by his wonderful teachers throughout his elementary school years.  What a privilege you have to be a part of making memories to last a lifetime!