It's Monday morning. The first morning of our summer. Seth will start his new job today and I will hopefully start some of my exciting projects I have planned this summer. It is 7am and I am awake. Why? I don't know. My body has liked to wake up early lately... of course it couldn't have done that when I had work and school at 8 every morning.
Yesterday was such a good day. We went to our new ward and we think it will be a good fit. Everyone there is so friendly. And it's a married student ward. We've been in a family ward since we've been married and we liked it, but it's hard to stay involved when you're a busy college student. In this new ward, we're all kind of in the same situation.
* * *
Anyway, in Relief Society yesterday, we talked about the Book of Mormon. Our teacher made the comment that testimonies of children can be the most simple an profound. She read us the testimonies she has asked her three younger sisters to write. They were beautiful.
I kept thinking about that throughout the day. I've always been a sucker for those "from the mouths of babes" things. But it made me want to go out and ask little kids to share their testimonies with me.
* * *
When we got home from church, I got on the computer had this new email from my sister. I usually HATE Forwards, but this one was perfect.
'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.'
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 every day.'
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.' (what an image)
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
* * *
Anyway, in Relief Society yesterday, we talked about the Book of Mormon. Our teacher made the comment that testimonies of children can be the most simple an profound. She read us the testimonies she has asked her three younger sisters to write. They were beautiful.
I kept thinking about that throughout the day. I've always been a sucker for those "from the mouths of babes" things. But it made me want to go out and ask little kids to share their testimonies with me.
* * *
When we got home from church, I got on the computer had this new email from my sister. I usually HATE Forwards, but this one was perfect.
A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4 to
8 year-olds,
'What does love mean?'
8 year-olds,
'What does love mean?'
Here are the answers:
'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.'
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 every day.'
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.' (what an image)
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:
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 what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
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 what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
It's the age-old question. What is love to you?
This week, show someone you love them. It's not in the chocolate or flowers or expensive dinners by candlelight. It's in the simple, everyday things. And these children realized that.
And if you are struggling to understand one of life's great questions, ask a child. They have a lot to teach us if we'll listen.
*amber*
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