I often think of my 5 year old daughter as an old soul.  She was born with two conditions that most people think of the elderly having.  She was born with a cataract and has been battling Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis since she started walking. My own Benjamin Button I use to say.  As I have grown to see her personality bloom, I am more convinced that she is an adult in a little body.  I woke up this weekend as she slowly creeped in to snuggle in our bed, looked at her and asked "so Maya how is life so far"?  She quickly answered "I dont know".  Here is how the rest of the dialogue went:
Me "Is life good?"  Maya "Yes".  
Me "Is life giving you everything you need"?  Maya "Yes"
Me "Is life keeping you happy" Maya "Yes"
Me "Is life giving you Love?"  Maya "No"
Me "No?" Maya "Silly Mommy, Life doesn't give love."
Me "It doesn't? What gives love"?
Maya "You give love.  Life doesn't do that...we do"!
Simply spoken and yet so powerful.  We dont give love to our children to receive it.  Why should we expect life to give love? WE MUST GIVE IT! 

As the end of Valentines day is near, I sit and am reminded that love has so many ways of surfacing itself.  We first experience love as children feeling love for and from our parents, then we grow to love our friends and learn that love can also be about heartbreak as we fall in love (If you've never suffered a broken heart, dont tell us!).   The challenges we face with love as adults can sometimes be an endless road as it is often associated with heartache, but then we become parents!  That is when the true meaning of love presents itself.  We open our hearts willingly to our children, without reservation, fear, or conditions.  It is not a temporary relationship...it is a true promise kept for life.  One that lasts forever no matter the distance or time.  It is knowing when to give love and when to back off giving space to find themselves.  It is accepting that you may be dissappointed, but you will never stop loving them.  It is having the future uncertain, but the foundation of your heart securely fastened for the ride.  Our children help us understand love in ways we may never have experienced before.  We teach them what love is all about, so if you ever get stuck in the lesson of love, just look in their eyes and share what they mean to you...that is love!