Reece Gardner: That's love

I want to talk today about the importance of sharing time with others, but first I want to comment about what is happening in Ukraine and Formosa and how lives are being torn apart every day. One of the most heart-wrenching videos emerged this week of a father saying goodbye to his little 10-year-old daughter as she boarded a train in Ukraine for parts unknown. They had very little time to share those last few moments together and I am sure they made the most of that time. Have you ever had something on your mind that you felt you should share with others but you didn't get around to doing so?

A terminally ill teenage girl in a New York hospital understood this. With only six months to live, her dying wish was to write a letter telling people to live their lives to the fullest. She knew that she would never make it to Prom, graduate from high school, or get married and have a family of her own, but she had some keen perspectives on life that she wanted to share, so she wrote a poem which has since touched the hearts of a great number of people.

Here it is: Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or really listened

to the rain splashing on the ground? Have you ever followed a butterfly's joyous flight, or gazed at the sun in the fading light? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, with the next group of chores running through your head? You'd better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last. Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow," and in your haste not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, because you never took time to call and say "Hi"? When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through the day, it's like an unopened gift thrown away. Life is not a race, so take it slower, hear the music BEFORE THE SONG IS OVER!

I want to share now some examples that Jennifer West shared with me a few years ago about what love means to children 4-8 years of age. A group of professional people posed this question to this group: "What does love mean?"

Here are some of the responses:

Rebecca, age 8: "When my grandmother got arthritis in her hands she couldn't paint her toenails anymore, so my grandfather does this for her, though his hands have arthritis too. That's love."

Danny, age 7: "Love is when Mommy makes coffee for Daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is OK."

Jessica, age 8: "During my piano recital, I was on stage and I was scared. Then I looked at all the people watching me and I saw my Daddy wave and smile at me, and I wasn't scared anymore. That's love."

And this one from a four-year-old 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 upon his lap and just sat there, Later, when his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing. I just helped him cry." Folks, that's LOVE!