Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui atawhai.

As we reach the end of another disrupted school term, with continuing anxiety about what the future holds, it is sometimes good to just find something simple and positive and pause. This came through on a Facebook feed the other day:

What does love mean to 4-8 year old kids??  Slow down for three minutes to read this and relish the perspective of the young. Hopefully, you’ll get the same smile on your face that I did.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, ‘What does love mean?’

‘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 what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.’ Bobby – age 7

‘If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.’ Nikka – age 6

‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.’ 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 mummy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’ Clare – age 6

‘Love is when Mummy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.’ Chris – age 7

‘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.’ Karen – age 7

‘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

“God loves us. May we discover the beauty of loving and being loved.” Pope Francis