A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and
deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
“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 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.”
Chrissy – age 6
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
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
“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.”
Emily – age 8
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen.”
Bobby – age 7
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend who you hate.”
Nikka – age 6
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, 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 so 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 saw my daddy waving
and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.”
Cindy – age 8
“My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me
to sleep at night.”
Clare – age 6
“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”
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 your puppy licks your face even after you left
him alone all day.”
Mary Ann – age 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 – age 4
“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and
little stars come out of you.”
Karen – age 7
“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t
think it’s gross.”
Mark – age 6
“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 — Author and lecturer 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, I just
helped him cry.”