I love this so I thought I'd share. :)

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."

- Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."

- Nikka - age 6

(we need a few million more Nikkas on this planet)

"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 image)

- 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

~Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs~ :)

First, let me just say, 'Happy New Year' to everyone! Yay! We made it through another year with only a few more skidmarks than before.....LOL. Of course I'm in my contemplative, reflective mode right now thinking about the last year and about my resolutions for this year (which may or may not come to fruition, but here's hoping. haaaa haaa! :)

Ohhh, this last year had it's up & downs, of course--but basically I can count my blessings too. I always say to myself, "things could have been worse"...right? They definitely could have been. My angels were definitely with me....as ALWAYS. I'm grateful that God blessed me with the intuitive nature I have and the understanding of the spiritual side of our existence. It's always helped me get through the most perilous terrain and back to the greener pastures... :) Were it not for my understanding of God and Jesus Christ and the Heavenly help that surrounds us and sustains us, I would be like a Lily drowned in a torrential downpour. Christ is my Umbrella when the downpour falls and so are my Angels. 

I've always had that "Glass is Half Full" kind of attitude, but as I've gotten older it's been harder and harder to see things that way. It's definitely easier to say, "Who spilled my drink dammit?! And why is my glass half empty!" The last 2 years have been the most difficult for me, and it's definitely been harder for me to keep my positive perspective on things.  I saw the movie "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" with the kids one night. Sometimes I feel like life is that way...."Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". One minute the sun is shining and the next minute something is raining from the Sky of Life that you least expected!....Meatballs or something. LOL.  I've definitely had my share of Meatballs and so have my loved ones. It's been a year of Meatballs...no doubt.

But I can't help but go back to my original thought..."the Glass is half full". And the Meatballs are best with really good sauce. :P It's all how you look at things, I guess. This is my big Light Bulb moment for the year. No matter what comes our way....Meatballs, Hotdogs, whatever it is we can handle it with a good Umbrella--starting with Christ and all the heavenly Angels He's sent down here to us to help us along the way. And I'm not just talking about Angels we CAN"T see, but also those we CAN.  My angels this year have been, of course, those I can't see, but also my Mom, Dad, & my 2 cute boys,(I LOVE YOU to PIECES) &  my BFF's (girls, I LOVE YOU to PIECES too!) Without all of your Love and the Love of my Savior Jesus Christ, the storms would drown me....You are my Umbrella. 

Somewhere over the Rainbow.....there's Sunshine and Lemon Drops. Of course we may have to wade through a Sea of Meatballs first to get to that Sunshine place, but we can only do it Together. We are each other's Umbrellas. ;)

~Happy New Year Everyone!~ May your Angels be your Umbrellas and may you always know that Christ is by your side daily, helping you weather the Storms of Life.  <3