What Is Love?

This is Nora, pretending to drink from her espresso cup, while watching G do dishes one morning.

This month is the usually seen as the month of love.  Red everywhere, an abundance of flowers, sickly sweet cards.  We didn't do anything for Valentine's Day.  I've never been big on it, and this year especially we were just too busy.

But tonight has me thinking about what is love?  My relationship with my husband has been long winding and hard won, but we've found it stronger than ever these last couple years even with the stress of a deployment and becoming parents.  Even in the hard times (and oh how every year has at least an argument or two, ahem) I still know with every bit of myself that I love him more than words could ever accurately sum up.

And then Nora.  My oh my.  That child is loving.  She grabs both sides of your face and forcefully plants one on you.  She loves hugs and snuggles and will remove the phone from my hand in order to place my hand upon her own back.  And her new trick tonight has been to try and say "I love you."

I looked at G and said, "She has no idea what it means, really."  And she doesn't, not yet.  It's up to us to show her what it means.  It means not being perfect.  It means times where liking someone is hard, even though you may love them.  It means forgiveness and grace, two lessons I am constantly learning.  And sometimes it means letting go and leaving things up to God.

I have spent a lot of time this last year pondering how to make sure she always knows she's loved.  And the answer is simple, to just keep loving her and G so she learns by witnessing.  And boy do I love them both!