Professor McCafferty [Edited]

11. Gotta Smile while you're Hurting [edited]

"One word: love."

The class went silent as Benson walked into the room clicking the slideshow.

I glanced back at the photo that was no the board.

"So many different opinions, so many different definitions on this case but I think the great Marilyn said it the best, 'I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

I looked up at her.

"When you see someone you love so in pain and hiding the hurt, what is your first move?"

I didn't say a word.

It was Samy that spoke up, "You do what you can to protect them. You just wanna protect them."

"What if it hurts them more?" Benson asked her back.

"You just have to do what you can." Samy reputed.

"That doesn't matter, in the end you are either hurt or they are. No one is ever happy." I blurted out without thinking about what I actually did say.

Samy glared back at me, "So you are saying that you would rather see a loved one hurt?"

"I'm telling you that you either get hurt or they do." I snorted back at her.

"So Anna, what is your definition of love?"

"I like to think that love is about being happy with yourself and seeing that you can make someone happy all the time. That when you smile someone else smiles back at you. That you are waking up every morning with a happy partner. That you aren't ruining someone else's life that your love is greater than just a kiss or sex. It has to be more than that or you are just lying to yourself to make sure that you are not alone through life. That itself is how everyone gets hurt in the end. And love has to be so much more than that."

Benson nodded her head back at me, "So it has to be more than kissing and sex?"

"Yea."

"What else is love?"

I glanced up at her.

"What else is love?"

"Love is someone looking at you and smiling without a word being said. Love is sitting on the couch in your pajamas watching football on Sunday. Love is understanding that when a person has a dark past that you don't judge them. That you don't hold it over their head."

Benson looked at me.

"Love is trust and respect. It has to be there because it is something that can never be a material object like flowers or a ring. Once it is gone, you never get that back."

"That is very true Anna."

I glanced back at her.

"That is something a lot of people fight for."

Samy shook her head back at me, "So you want a guy for football?"

"It's more than that." I said back to her.

"You literally just said that love is sitting on the couch watching football."

"Love is knowing that he will be there for you on that day." I glanced up at Benson.