Query on love gets insightful answers from children

Dear Readers: I want to pass on the following e-mail that was sent to me. The author is unknown.

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 pain 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 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 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 8

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”
…Noelle –age 7

“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,”
…Cindy – age 8

“My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
…Clare –age 5

“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 8

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”
…Mary Ann – age 4

“I know my oldest sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out any buy new ones.”
…Lauren – age 4

“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.”
…Bethany –age 4

“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

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2002