love.

What is love? What is the inherent meaning of this word?
This act?
This feeling?
This expression?
Webster's dictionary defines love as:

strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
attraction based on sexual desire
affection and tenderness felt by lovers
affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
an assurance of love
warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion

why do we have this urge, this desire, to feel this strong type of affection, to hear these words come out of someone else's mouth, that they love us?
The love of a mother, a father...
The love of a sibling...
The love of a spouse or partner...
The love of a close friend...
The love of THE Father...
Recently I've found myself needing to hear this word. I needed to know that someone important in my live loved me. I started fostering doubt that this love existed. During this time I felt the Lord tenderly touch my heart and tell me that He loves me. In multiple ways over a few day span He continually gave me reasons to search for that love. I started feeling hurt and pain and had to go to His love.
So then the time came when I wanted to know if this other person in my life truly loves me...and when I got the answer I was looking for, the answer that I felt I really needed, it was just a sweet reminder that I am already loved, unconditionally loved.
the love of another individual is wonderful, but the love of the Father is unconditional, not based on emotions or feelings - it is ALWAYS there. So anyone else who loves you once you realize you are loved by the Father, is like the cherry on top.