Monday,
December 13, 2004
"Love
is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen."
The
question "What does love mean?" was posed to a group of 4- to
8-year-olds and the above response remains one of my favorite responses
of all. For the innocence of youth often times strikes at the very heart
of the matter.
My
friend, whether or not Christian in one's belief system, there is something
very appealing about the Christmas holiday season for all... at least
at its very core. Sure enough, many of us each year are easily distracted
from the sole purpose of the celebration amidst the opening of packages,
bustling crowds, wassailing, returning gifts, and holiday feasts. It's
easy to be distracted by all the music, lights and noise.
But
it's in those moments of silence, those lulls, of our days where purpose
and perspective creep in and whisper to our heart, "There's more
to your life... there's so much more..." Moments just before the
rush of your day begins, moments just before your head is laid to rest
on your pillow at night, and all those moments during your day when you
are waiting in lines and waiting in your car. It is in these moments that
voice is probably its loudest... and it only reaches a whisper... because
that's all that is needed to remind each and everyone of us of that sole
purpose: Love.
It
is a Love that was born so long ago in the darkness of a desolate world
full of desperate lives. And even amidst the incredible technological
and scientific advancement, it still seems, at times, to be a desolate
world full of desperate lives... in need of that same Love. That is the
very essence of Christmas (whether you believe it to be fact or folklore):
that Love that arrives as a whisper in our life will always drown out
the overwhelming din of of selfishness, greed and desperation. It is a
simple whisper that will move mountains, alter lives and change hearts
for the better. It is a sweet whisper that will elevate the lives of mere
humans to immortal saints. And it is a sacred whisper that will transform
an earthly moment into holy ground.
It
is that whisper you will hear... when the presents are finally laid down
and you listen.
----------------------
And
the
remaining responses from 4- to 8-year-olds when asked, "What does
love mean?" Well, here are some of the best:
- "Love
is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the
way."
- "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."
- "When
someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know
that your name is safe in their mouth."
- "Love
is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each other."
- "Love
is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries
without making them give you any of theirs."
- "Love
is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at
them because you know it would hurt their feelings."
- "Love
is what makes you smile when you're tired."
- "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."
- "Love
is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you
still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are
like that. They look gross when they kiss."
- "If
you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate."
- "Love
is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no."
- "When
you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they
won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only
do they still love you, they love you even more."
- "There
are two kinds of love -- Our love, and God's love. But God makes both
kinds of them."
- "Love
is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
- "Love
is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends
even after they know each other so well."
- "During
my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people
watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one
doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
- "My
mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing
me to sleep at night."
- "Love
is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
- "Love
is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer
than Robert Redford."
- "Love
is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day."
- "I
know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."
- "I
let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me
because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
- "Love
cards like Valentine's cards say stuff on them that we'd like to say
ourselves, but we wouldn't be caught dead saying."
- "When
you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come
out of you."
- "Love
is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
- "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."
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