What does love mean to a 10-year-old?

Alyssa Howell, a fourth-grader at Fern Avenue Elementary in Torrance, was asked to write about what love means to you.

Here is the 10-year-old's answer:

"Love is...love. There's no way to explain it. If anything, love is the sparkle in someone's eye when they talk to you. When their face lights up when you speak. Love is that boy in your classroom. Love is roses and chocolates. Love is when you feel meek. Love is Valentine's Day. But most of all, love is friendship. The bonding that holds us together with the friends you will know forever. Love is the gentle sound of the crickets on a moonlit night, as you gaze at the stars. Love is a divine dinner prepared by your mother."