love

portions of an email forward...

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7

"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. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6

I realize this could become exhibit # 38,347 proving how incredibly naïve I am that I think children responded to the ‘What is love’ question posed to them by a group of ‘professionals’ in this manner, but I don’t care – it made me smile…and cry :). All I know is children have a beautiful innocence and purity that we should strive to preserve by proving these adorable thoughts on love true and not false. It is much harder to lead a life of patience, love, grace and vulnerability than of cynicism, hate, bitterness, and resistance, but we need to remember that even though they are just ‘kids’ they absorb everything and will know of love what they have seen.

What beautiful statements during this season of miraculous birth and sacrifice to remind us to be still, listen, and love.