I realised today that both of my other two blogs talk about love, and considering that Feburary is 'Love Month' (or so the radio insists on reminding me), I thought I would continue the love-theme in this blog.. then I promise I will find something else to write about :)
Today I stumbled across my old diaries from primary school and early highschool (which, by the way, are HILARIOUS! If I ever feel the urge to do away with dignity I'll publish them and say that they're fictional), and anyway, in between the fits of laughter and acute embarrassment, I found this email that I had saved that really made me smile. You may have been sent this at some stage, it has been floating around in cyber space for a number of years now, but I thought I would share it here anyway. A group of professional people posed the question to a group of 4-8 year olds, "What does love mean?".. and some of the answers these kids came up with are just amazing.. I think it's a really good lesson in not underestimating how perceptive children can be.. Here's what some of them said:
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too." - Rebecca, aged 8.
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." - Billy, aged 4.
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - Karl, aged 5.
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy, aged 6.
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." - Terri, aged 4.
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." - Bobby, aged 5.
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." - Nikka, aged 6.
"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them." - Jenny, aged 4.
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." - Noelle, aged 7.
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." - Tommy, aged 6.
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." - Mary Ann, aged 4.
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." - Lauren, aged 4.
"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mum says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her." - Bethany, aged 4.
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." - Jessica, aged 8.
And, my favourite..
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." - Karen, aged 7.
Isn't that awesome? I think that some of these kids could probably teach us a thing or two about love....like the significance of how you say the name of someone you love; or how love allows you to give even when it hurts; or the little efforts we make to impress, such as perfume or a nice shirt; or giving without expecting anything in return; or the ability that love has to make you forget your problems; or the value in not just loving those who love you; or how love allows you to enjoy another's company even when you know their every fault and flaw; or how important it is to tell those around you that you love them. I love hearing what children have to say about things that are often considered 'grown-up topics'. Their oppinions are so unaffected by society, and their honesty and ability to trust is something that, I think, we could learn from. So often people don't take the time to listen to children, but trust me, it's worth it!
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2 comments:
I might be showing my age here but there used to be a show on tv called something like kids say the damnedest things or something like that. hosted by bill Cosby it was just him chatting to kids and boy it was funny but again the innocence of kids often bursts through our cynical little bubble. It's why i love working in children's ministry- i find i am taught so much more than I'll ever teach the kids
Yes! I know the show you mean! I remember watching that as a kid, it was hilarious! We actually have an old vinyl record of Bill Cosby interviewing children, and my sister and I used to sit in the lounge room and laugh ourselves hoarse when my Mum would put it on!
It was incredibly funny, but now that I'm older I can appreciate the purpose of shows like that and how much we can really learn from the innocence of these sweet little kids.
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