The concept of love is not an easy one for some people, especially children, to understand.
The talk among high school students in the lead up to Valentine’s Day may be about who has a secret admirer and who could be surprised by the anonymously delivered rose.
Asked about love, prep students at Cleveland State School talked about how they felt loved by their parents.
Jamie likes going to the shops with his mum, Eli loves his mother because she plays with him, while Danielle said she loved that her mum made her dinner, with chicken being her favourite.
She also loves “going to the beach, splashing in the water and building sandcastles” with her mum.
“Every day, every second, I tell my mum that I love her,” said another prep student, Daufi.
Four-year-old Sommer found the concept of love very difficult to explain.
“I don’t know what love means, but, well, I don’t really know what love means, but it’s kind of like, I don’t really know what love means,” she said.
She did feel loved by her family and said her mother showed her love by not letting her go into the deep end of the swimming pool.
In return, Sommer showed her love for her mother by “being good for her”.
Art group members at the Donald Simpson Community Centre shared some of their life experiences as they talked about love.
Victoria Point resident Bernard Cornish said he had been married for 57 years.
“To me love is a deep seated companionship with someone who you can relate to both at good times and bad,” he said.
“It means looking after each other and enjoying the happy times and supporting each other in the sad times.”
Barbara Newton, of Ormiston, said she had known her husband for 60 years.
Asked ‘what is love’, she replied: “Contentment, being cared for, just knowing there’s someone there in a time of need.”
Cleveland resident Bev Anderson said she thought caring was the biggest part of love.
“If it’s true love I believe it’s pure acceptance of the person and being there all the time,” she said.
Theatre group facilitators at the Donald Simpson Community Centre, Chris and Janette Sheehan said running the group together was good for their relationship.
“To me love means enjoying spending time together with your partner and supporting them regardless of what happens,” he said.
“I guess love means unconditional acceptance when you recognise each other’s faults, but they’re almost endearing, almost,” Janette said.
