"What does love mean?"

*****

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 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 what's in the room with you a Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 5

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend whom you hate."
Nikka - age 6

"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God
makes both of them."
Jenny - age 4

"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

"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 older sister loves me because she gives me all her old
clothes and has to go out and 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

"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

A newscaster interrupted scheduled programming to announce the outcome of a political election. "More on candidates at 10 P.M.," he said.

MISSING TRAINS:

Blake and his parents were drinking at the bar in a train station
when they heard a whistle. The three of them rushed out of the bar
onto the platform only to discover that they had missed the train.

"The next train is in one hour," said the stationmaster.

The three went back into the bar. The parents had another drink. Blake had a Pepsi.

Again they heard a whistle, rushed out and discovered the train
pulling away.

"Next one is sixty minutes from now!" said the stationmaster.

An hour later, Blake, with his Mom and Dad, raced out onto the
platform, and his parents leaped onto the train as it pulled away.
The boy was left standing on the platform and began to laugh
uproariously.

"Your parents just left you," said the stationmaster. "Why are you
laughing?"

"They came to see me off!"

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy, he learns what envy is.

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.

If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with recognition, he learns that it is good to have a goal.

If a child lives with sharing, he learns about generosity.

If a child lives with honesty and fairness, he learns what truth and justice are.

The Gracious Host

Having moved into his first apartment, our son invited my husband and me for a visit. As we walked in, our son asked if we'd like a cold drink. Mentally patting myself on the back for teaching him to be such a gracious host, I said, "Yes, what do you have?"

He walked over to the refrigerator, opened the door, studied the
contents, and then replied,

Two kids are talking to each other. One says, "I'm really worried. My dad works twelve hours a day to give me a nice home and good food. My mom spends the whole day cleaning and cooking for me. I'm worried sick!"

The other kid says, "What have you got to worry about? Sounds to me like you've got it made!"

Man (To a doctor): I have an erection problem.

Doc: Do you sleep around?

Man: No.

Doc: Do you have a girlfriend?

Man: No.

Doc: Are you married?

Man: No.

Sue Bee

I was playing tooth fairy when my daughter, Sheila, suddenly woke
up. Seeing the money in my hand, she cried out, "I caught you!"

I froze and tried to think of an explanation for why I, instead of
the tooth fairy, was putting the money under her pillow but her
next words let me off the hook.

"You put that money back!" she said indignantly. "The tooth fairy
left that for me!"

A little boy sneaks up behind a girl. "BOO!" yells the boy.

"Hey!" exclaims the girl, you scared me half out of my pants!"

One day I was driving with my 7 year old granddaughter, and I beeped my horn by mistake.

She turned and looked at me for an explanation.

I said, "I did that by accident."

Little Billy, and his grandfather entered the vacation cabin, and
kept the lights off until they were inside to keep from attracting
pesky insects.

Still, a few fireflies followed them in.

A Dad's Day with his Daughter

Just for this morning, I am going to call in sick to work, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave my spreadsheets for another day,
and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to
be when you grow up, or second-guess every decision I have made where
you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me wash the car,and I won't stand over you as you use the hose and need a change of clothes.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just tonight we can take an extra long car ride, And we will try to “find the sun” until you fall asleep again.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and leave everything else behind.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray,

I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift
ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for
their missing children,the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a
little longer.

Before our daughter went off to college, our family took a
vacation in Colorado. So we flew to Denver and rented a car. We
visited the Royal Gorge Bridge, which is more than 1000 feet above
the Arkansas River.

Walking out onto the bridge, I noticed it swaying in the wind.
Then a car went past us, and the wood-plank roadway moved beneath
my feet. "I don't think I want to drive the car across this
bridge," I finally said.

A distraught mother rushed into the back yard, where eight-year-old Tommy was banging on the bottom of an old upturned tin bath with a poker.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"I'm just entertaining the baby," explained Tommy.

"Where is the baby?" asked his Mom.

The youngest of my three crazy country cousins and I were only a month apart in age, and both small for our age, He was a cotton-top blond with freckles, a typical Kentucky country boy.

Once when the cousins were at our house he and I were playing in the yard, while I was minding my little brother for my my mom, when the neighborhood bully happened by with a couple of his friends.

The bully decided to stop and make fun of my cousin's country accent, we tried to ignore him but he wouldn't stop and finally started throwing rocks at us. One of the rocks hit my little brother, causing his forehead to bleed profusely. I grabbed my brother up and ran to find mom and my cousin lit out after the bully.

He chased him all the way to his house and ran in after him. Just as the bully's father stepped into the room to see what was going on, my cousin punched the bully right in the nose, causing it to spurt blood all over.

The man grabbed my cousin and marched him and his son to our house. When my mom came to the door the red faced man shouted "Look what your kid did to my son!"