Love from the Age of 4 to 8

I receive many, many e-mails and today I spent the day weeding through them. I came across this e-mail – and maybe many of you have seen it before, but as far as I can remember (and because my memory doesn’t always serve me so well), I had never seen this and it really touched my heart so I wanted to share it here in Happy Times…

I hope this makes you smile, as it made me smile and I hope it brings joy to you on this beautiful day!

Many hugs,

Cathleen

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 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 (Wow!)

“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.” ~Nikka - age 6  (We need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

“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

“No matter how mad you get at them, you still don't want them to ever leave.” ~Cody - 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.

I want to be all of these things to you...

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 what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

“Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

Who is Your Mom?

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. It is a day of celebration, in every way! We all have something to celebrate when it comes to Mother’s day. For those of you who are men, this is for you too. Read on.

Are you a Mom? The role of Mother has changed over the years. Let’s take TV as an example. Not too long ago, Mom was the norm. She played the role so elegantly, first in pearls opening the door to greet the hubby, with a homemade meal. Then remember the brady’s? Three girls were hers, three boys were his. Then there was the single mom on “One Day at a Time”. As the years went by, the family, as in real life, changed. Now NBC's "Parenthood," a show about parenthood, stars four women who are not mothers in real life -- another true reflection of what you can find here in America.

According to Melanie Notkin in her book 'Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers, and All Women Who Love Kids', Motherhood in America has changed. In fact, nearly 50 percent of American women are not moms, up from 35 percent in 1976. Forty-six percent of women ages 25 to 29 don't have children, a steep rise from 31 percent in the mid 70s. And nearly one-fifth of women ages 40 to 44 have not given birth, nearly double the rate of 10 percent that we saw 35 years ago.

While the hard Census data does not qualify this radical change in the adult female landscape, we do know that it's not an assault on so-called family values. Modern women don't have children, or have them later in life, for a variety of valid reasons, most of which have to do with choice. Some are waiting for love. Some are not in love with men. Some believe motherhood is not for them. Some are on the fence. And others are just not there yet. Of course, for some, fertility is not a choice within their control. But rarely are women not mothers because they don't believe in family.

It's time for a remix. If we look with a modern eye at family the way it was just a few centuries ago, when grandmothers, aunts, cousins and other villagers helped raise the village's children, we'd see clearly that while half of America's women have not begun immediate families of their own, they are contributing invaluably to families around them.

Ironically, it's TV-star moms who are beginning to see what really shapes the family landscape in America. Tori Spelling, mother, actress , bestselling author and star of a series about family on the Oxygen Network, was literally brought to tears when Melanie  asked her last year about how important the aunts and "Guncles" are to her family. She doesn't know what she would do without the adoring grown-ups in her children's lives, she told me.

And just recently, Amy Poehler, working mom and star of NBC's "Parks and Recreation," got uncharacteristically serious for a moment at the end of her Time 100 acceptance speech at the Gala on April 26. She took time to recognize the women in her life, her village:

“And for you working women ... who get to do what you get to do because there are wonderful people who help you ... Those are people who love your children as much as you do, and who inspire them and influence them, and on behalf of every sister ... and person who stands in your kitchen and helps you love your child, I say 'thank you,' and I celebrate you tonight.”

Half of American women were celebrated that night, thanks to Amy.

Just about every woman has a child in her life, by relation or by choice, whom she loves and adores. Every boo-boo she kisses, every little hand she holds, every hug she gives is a gift to that family. And every time a PANK® (Professional Aunt No Kids) stays late so a mom can leave early to attend to a sick child, or takes on double the work when a new mom is on maternity leave, she's contributing to the national American Family Village.

These Savvy Aunties are not childless. They are childfull; they choose to love the children they know and give to children around the nation -- and around the world.

It's time to embrace all the maternal women in a child's life this Mother's Day. It's time to open the door and welcome Auntie in.

I second everything that Melanie has to say! I absolutely LOVE my Mom, but I also adore those women in my life who have helped to take care of my children, and me as I was growing up!

I’m sure there are women who have touched your life in one way or another who deserve a great big THANK YOU tomorrow on Mother’s Day! Take the time to give them a BIG hug and do something special for them.

Hugs,

Cathleen