Love, As Seen Through the Eyes of Children

A group of social scientists asked this question to a group of children: “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.”
“Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.”
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
“Love is when someone hurts you, and you get so mad but you don’t yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.”
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
“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.”
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.”
“When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.”
“There are two kinds of love—our love and God’s love. But God makes both kinds of them.”
“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”
“My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.”
“Love is when your puppy is so glad to see you even though you left him alone all day.”
“Love cards say stuff on them that we’d like to say ourselves, but we wouldn’t be caught dead saying.”
“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.”
“When they crucified Jesus, God could have said magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn’t. That’s love.”

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Proverbs 17:17 ESV / A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV / Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV / Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”