From the Mouths of Babes

[Studlover (imported)]

Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.

Touching words from the mouth of babes.

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:

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"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

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"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

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"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

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"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

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"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4

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"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

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"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

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"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

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"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 Nikka's on this planet)

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"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

Noelle - age 7

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"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

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"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

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"My mommy loves me more than anybody .

You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

Clare - age 6

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"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5

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"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

Chris - age 7

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"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

Mary Ann - age 4

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"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

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"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)

Karen - age 7

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"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."

Mark - age 6

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"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

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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"

[Slammr (imported)]

Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.

Touching words from the mouth of babes.

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:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

My favorite. Happy Birthday, Stud

[Studlover (imported)]

My favorite. Happy Birthday, Stud

Slammr, thanks for the Birthday Wishes! Had a great night with Carl at Dinner and a Movie. Got to see a really "interesting" French flick called "The Science of Sleep."

Studlover

[n3rf (imported)]

Late "Happy Birthday" wishes and where do I find out about the "Science of SLeep" ??

((I should be studuing the Science of Remembering Birthdays)) Warm regards from N3RF

[Studlover (imported)]

Late "Happy Birthday" wishes and where do I find out about the "Science of SLeep" ??

((I should be studuing the Science of Remembering Birthdays)) Warm regards from N3RF

n3rf, Thank you for the Birthday Wishes! That was very nice.

As for the "The Science of Sleep" I suggest you check your local theatres or google it.

Trust me, it's a strange movie and at times surrealistic. The plot line can become quite bizarre at times. Carl wanted to take me to see it because 70 per cent of it is in French which he knew I'd love and some of it is about music composition, part of the character development.

Basically, it's probably something not everyone would enjoy. There were probably about 15 people in the audience. But this particular theatre plays out of the ordinary films along with a lot of foreign films. Plus it's the only theatre in town that actually has waiter service, drinks, etc.

Studlover

[A-1 (imported)]

Happy birthday again, Studlover!

Children are so wonderful and so honest. Too bad these characteristics don't seem to make the transition to adulthood well...

Not being too inquisitive, but what instruments can you play?

After about 30 years I re-discovered that I could play and even learn a new instrument.

Music IS wonderful and I love to be able to make it...even if I am the only one who enjoys it...

A-1

[Studlover (imported)]

Happy birthday again, Studlover!

Children are so wonderful and so honest. Too bad these characteristics don't seem to make the transition to adulthood well...

Not being too inquisitive, but what instruments can you play?

After about 30 years I re-discovered that I could play and even learn a new instrument.

Music IS wonderful and I love to be able to make it...even if I am the only one who enjoys it...

A-1

A-1, it is encouraging to hear the confidence you display as an adult. Adults CAN learn a musical instrument IF and only IF they get past the myth that "I am too old and only children can learn quickly." That can get me on a rant.

My oldest student was 72 and learned as quickly as his 8 year old grandchildren.

I am a pianist and teacher of the instrument. I have spent my life in music since I was 14. (No life before 14).

Yes, music IS wonderful and in a way it's probably our "salvation" to sanity no matter what one's tastes are.

Tragically, the arts are being cut in the schools believing that it is not necessary. Another rant I could get on.

Studlover

[Riverwind (imported)]

A-1, it is encouraging to hear the confidence you display as an adult. Adults CAN learn a musical instrument IF and only IF they get past the myth that "I am too old and only children can learn quickly." That can get me on a rant.

My oldest student was 72 and learned as quickly as his 8 year old grandchildren.

I am a pianist and teacher of the instrument. I have spent my life in music since I was 14. (No life before 14).

Yes, music IS wonderful and in a way it's probably our "salvation" to sanity no matter what one's tastes are.

Tragically, the arts are being cut in the schools believing that it is not necessary. Another rant I could get on.

Studlover

First, a late Happy Birthday,

loved the list, I have some of those memory myself from my kids.

Music, I started on the panio at age 7 I still love it today but havent played in years. The last was the banjo with several inbetween. My next is the Mandolin, its on my short list. I think the important thing is not that I learn to play it like an expert but that I play it for me and the joy it will bring. (I have this tone running around in my head, words and all, and can only be played on the Mandolin). Your never to old to learn or enjoy music.

River

[Studlover (imported)]

First, a late Happy Birthday,

loved the list, I have some of those memory myself from my kids.

Music, I started on the panio at age 7 I still love it today but havent played in years. The last was the banjo with several inbetween. My next is the Mandolin, its on my short list. I think the important thing is not that I learn to play it like an expert but that I play it for me and the joy it will bring. (I have this tone running around in my head, words and all, and can only be played on the Mandolin). Your never to old to learn or enjoy music.

River

River, thank you for the birthday wishes. It was truly a great day. Just to be able to spend it with my son is worth more than any material gift I could ever receive.

I never attempted the mandolin although its history is fascinating.

No, one is never too old to learn music in some capacity.

As I have told my students young and "advanced" that I am not hear to train you for the concert stage. We have enough unemployed concert pianists now.

Studlover

[Bagoas (imported)]

I was 40 before I learned to read music. Within a year, I was writing rather bad chamber music. At 47, I built a clavichord from a kit, took lessons, and became fairly competent at playing it. At the university where I taught, I had access to a Challis harpsichord on which I practised at every opportunity. I longed to own one, but they are terribly expensive.

When I was 68, I inherited enough money to buy a harpsichord and took lessons for several years. I don't play it any better than I do the clavichord, but I get great satisfaction out of it. I confess to being a better listener than a performer. I have literally thousands of recordings, including Edison cylinders, over 3,000 78-rpm recordings, about as many LP's and somewhat under 1000 CD's.

Music, as you might guess, has always been an important part of my life, yet, as I said at the outset, I didn't learn to read music until I was 40. To this very day, I can't sight-sing. I have no idea how a score sounds until I play it . Unfortunately, the public school system when I was a child (1930's and 1940's) emphasized sight-singing above everything else, and I couldn't do it. I grew up loving music but unable to read it or perform it.

I taught myself to read music with the aid of an old Auto-Harp. As the foregoing reveals one can begin to study music in middle age and learn it well enough to get great satisfaction out of it.