What does Love mean? (For Reflection)

Nguyen Linh Lan
(petite)

Thành viên danh dự
What does Love mean?
Definition by children

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." (Wow!)

Bobby - age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

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 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 imagination)

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


And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. 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"


Collected by NoVeMbErRaIn
Source: Email from NoWhErEmAn

Acknowledgement: PeTiTe (for the nick)
 
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.. welcome chị đến với E-HAO ..:x ..:p:D .. ^:)^ ..:x ...
 
I really don't get the last story. Why can he help the old man cry by sitting on his lap?? /:) But just imagine, this baby must be very cute climbing onto the man :x.
 
In my opinion , that child sitting on the old man's lap is like a light way to console and give the man a relief ! ... perhaps, an innocent child's appearance can delight people more than we expect ! :x :) .. what a relief ! :x ... ^:)^ ... a profoundly meaningful story .. :x .. ^:)^ ...

btw , I haven't been able to translate the phrase " what a relief " into Vietnamese with an entirely correct meaning even though I can understand what this phrase implies ! .. can someone help me to make it clearer ? .. ^:)^ .. :D:D ..:x ..
cheers !
 
Trần Bích Thủy đã viết:
In my opinion , that child sitting on the old man's lap is like a light way to console and give the man a relief ! ... perhaps, an innocent child's appearance can delight people more than we expect ! :x :) .. what a relief ! :x ... ^:)^ ... a profoundly meaningful story .. :x .. ^:)^ ...

btw , I haven't been able to translate the phrase " what a relief " into Vietnamese with an entirely correct meaning even though I can understand what this phrase implies ! .. can someone help me to make it clearer ? .. ^:)^ .. :D:D ..:x ..
cheers !

Hehe, I can't imagine the man sitting there and say :what a relief!! I don't think that is the right phrase in the situation, rite?. When something bad that we expected didn't come, that's when we said : What a relief!! Isn't it? :D
And I also think that the child didn't know about the man's tragedy. He just saw him crying, and wanted to help him cry easier :) . Maybe that or maybe I'm not good at understanding children, hehe
 
.. I did not mean that the child had said "what a relief" to the old man ..:D:D .. I did mean that the way that child sitting on the old man's lap is like a relief for the old man ..:biggrin: ..:D .. I think you might have misunderstood what I said :D ..

I can comprehend which situation is suitable to use the phrase " what a relief " but the point here is that I can not translate it into Vietnamese properly even though in a case , I know it is not necessary and I shouldn't ..:D .. ^:)^
 
when you are sad and feeling lonely (this old man in this story was surely really sad and lonely because his wife passed away), you just need somebody to be here with you. But because of the pain deep down inside, you can't even talk, can't even say a word, you just want to be quiet and cry for yourself (that's how complicated human being is).

This little boy here has done a good job. He was there with the old man so the old man felt abit less lonely. But he knew how to keep quiet and stay still on the old man's lap, just like a soul mate and let him cry to relief the pain. The scene of "the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there" and let the man cry is to show how innocent the child is and how beautiful love between human being can be (nghệ thuật mang tính nhân bản :) )
 
.. yes , it's definitely right .. what sis Mai has said was what I meant .. ^^ .. same thought , same soul ^^ ...:p:D ...
... in the children' eyes ,everything is plain and colourful .. see how they have defined Love ... what a suprise ! ... :x .. the innocence of a child makes us feel be consoled and relieved !... I love children and love to be back a child... ^^ ..:x ..
 
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in the children' eyes ,everything is plain and colourful .. see how they have defined Love ... what a suprise ! ... .. the innocence of a child makes us feel be consoled and relieved !... I love children and love to be back a child... ^^ .. ..

Thủy, u gotta see my brother's eyes when he "demanded" me to get out and let him use the computer, which was not "innocent" in any forms^__^, jk, he's kinda cute sometimes too. Children = annoyance:D, again, jk.

u love to be a child again?...then u must love to be told shut up, and no one listens to u just because u'r a child, and being bullied as well...and being short...too short that those "adults" just put their dirty hands on the ur head..>__<...:D jk

an interesting topic^__^. the definition of love varies from people to people...to me, the definition of love...is like when u'r depressed, tired and just there, someone asks u "are u okay?"....it is care that love is made of i think.
 
"What does love mean?" is such a beautiful article.. coming from each child's point of view, it's so.. innocent and true, too. But i guess as we get older the definition of love is not the same anymore... And I agree with bro Phuoc that love is care.. kissing, hugging ..etc are not the only ways to show that you love somebody.. showing them that you CARE is the best way to let them know you love them.. sometimes I feel isolated and alienated.. at those times, all i need is someone come and talk to me, trying to make me smile (or even laugh :D) and showing me that i'm not alone.. it's love, isn't it?
 
Trần Thiên Phước đã viết:
Thủy, u gotta see my brother's eyes when he "demanded" me to get out and let him use the computer, which was not "innocent" in any forms^__^, jk, he's kinda cute sometimes too. Children = annoyance:D, again, jk.


u love to be a child again?...then u must love to be told shut up, and no one listens to u just because u'r a child, and being bullied as well...and being short...too short that those "adults" just put their dirty hands on the ur head..>__<...:D jk

.. :)) ..:D:D .. how funny you are, Phuoc :)):D:D :p ... I agree that children = annoyance ..:D .. but I said I wanted to be back a child but the child I definitely mentioned here was an one-year-old kid :D:D :biggrin: .. so I would be pampered everytime , everywhere .... ....... whatever .. :D :biggrin: ...
... so if I were an one-year-old kid, I wouldn't care whether people listen to me or not because I would have no offer , no require and feel free of evrything .. I would have nothing to worry and be fed everyday , be looked after everytime .. :x .. what the peace ! ... :) ...

an interesting topic^__^. the definition of love varies from people to people...to me, the definition of love...is like when u'r depressed, tired and just there, someone asks u "are u okay?"....it is care that love is made of i think.
.. hey .. I have remembered that everytime you saw my status in YM, you always came to ask me " are u okay" and tried to relieve my sadness ... :) .. so, what the point now is :D ... :x ... it is a love , isn't it ? .. ;) ..:x .. :D:D ...

... LOVE is CARE ..:D:D .. :x .. good and concise conclusion for this topic .. :x .. ^:)^ ...
 
.. hey .. I have remembered that everytime you saw my status in YM, you always came to ask me " are u okay" and tried to relieve my sadness ... .. so, what the point now is ... ... it is a love , isn't it ? .. .. .. ...

didn't go that far, but if u wanna bring it to that next level :D

I would have nothing to worry and be fed everyday

Thuy...one year old kid...u remember how they feed a one year kid?...that half-fluid-half-solid congee...with the taste like hell >__<, and u have to drink milk every day...and u'r not allowed to eat many things (not that u can, since one year old have just a few teeth, and very fragile :D),

and "be looked after everywhere"...T__T, many people are trying so hard to get out of parents' control, yet u wanna be kept in the their control...everyday :D...^__^..wait until u have kids, then u can see them as urself, it's gonna be nice, isn't it^^, just kidding
 
Trần Thiên Phước đã viết:
didn't go that far, but if u wanna bring it to that next level :D
... no ideas ... :D .. ( deleted :-$ )

Thuy...one year old kid...u remember how they feed a one year kid?...that half-fluid-half-solid congee...with the taste like hell >__<, and u have to drink milk every day...and u'r not allowed to eat many things (not that u can, since one year old have just a few teeth, and very fragile :D),

and "be looked after everywhere"...T__T, many people are trying so hard to get out of parents' control, yet u wanna be kept in the their control...everyday :D...^__^..wait until u have kids, then u can see them as urself, it's gonna be nice, isn't it^^, just kidding

... forget what I intend to say .. :| ....

..anyway ... i'm sure that in a case, being a baby is pretty much better than being an adult .. ^:)^ ....
 
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