Jack Levine of 4Generations Institute

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As Valentine's Day is upon us later this week, I wanted to share this message as my heartfelt gift to you.  I hope you'll enjoy it and will share with others...

A group of 4 to 10 year-olds was asked, "What does love mean?"  Here's a selection of the answers......from the mouths of babes.

"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)

"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 a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." (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." (Chrissie - age 6)

"Love is what makes you smile when you're too tired to think." (Terri - age 9)

"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)

"Love is the silent sound in the room when the people you care about are all together." (Luis - age 10)

"Love is when you tell a boy you like his shirt, and then he wears it everyday." (Noelle - age 7)

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other too well." (Tommy - age 6)

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared.  I looked at all the people watching me and I saw my daddy waving and smiling.  I wasn't scared anymore.  Love does that." (Cindy - age 8)

"My mommy loves me more than anybody.  You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night, do you?" (Clare - age 6)

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken and doesn't even think about it." (Elaine - age 5)

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." (Chris - age 7)

"Love is when you give someone a mint instead of telling them that their mouth smells like old cheese." (Jamal - age 8)

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." (Mary Ann - age 4)

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (Karen - age 7)

"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 - age 8)

And the final one to melt anybody's heart:

Author and lecturer Dr. Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.  The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.  Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.  When his Mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, really. I just helped him cry."

Having the chance to love and be loved is one of our most treasured emotional bonds.....and while love lost is also a reality of life, there is so much reward in appreciating the connection we have with others through whom we are more fulfilled.

Please take just a minute to tell someone else that they are loved, and make every effort to express yourself in positive words and deeds that uplift, edify and energize relationships.

And when we are faced with circumstances that challenge us, it's so important to take a breath, pause for a moment to think of the bigger picture, and find opportunities to balance life's ups and downs with a fresh perspective.

- Submitted to Wakulla.com by Jack Levine
4Generations Institute

This article originally published on February 14, 2008.

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