“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
Karl - age 5
Karl - age 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 - age 6
Chrissy - age 6
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
Terri - age 4
Terri - age 4
“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”
Danny - 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 even when his hands got arthritis, too. That’s Love.”
Rebecca - age 8
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
Billy - age 4
“Love is when you give someone your whole heart and they give you their whole heart.”
Arianna- age 5 (my daughter)
An unknown author of “Inspiration & Motivation” blog posted several quotes from young children, professing their ideas about the meaning of love. These simply honest perspectives undoubtedly reflect unadulterated love. Vivid images emerge from these statements, tugging at hidden emotions and pulling at coiled heart strings. I imagine multi-colored butterflies, fluttering their wings in the pit of two lovers’ stomachs as they take in whiffs of cologne and perfume just as Karl so eloquently put. I think of a toasty cabin fire emitting waves of warmth throughout Rebecca’s grandmother’s veins as her grandfather painted her toenails a soft pink. Silence follows. Questions fill within me shortly after. Are we creating these little opportunities to showcase our love, and more importantly, are we appreciative of these notions when they come our way? In an over-sexualized society, it is quite evident that romance is becoming somewhat extinct. Heart shaped sugar cookies with iced love sayings are being replaced with “I’m sorry for cheating” diamond rings, and individuals are trading in their titles as lovers for business partners. Perhaps we should look to young children to understand and respect their world view of simplicity and learn that “little things” make bigger statements instead of being caught up in the big distractions that fill bleak voids.
