ALL WE NEED

She left the house yesterday morning with a bag of Valentine’s for her classmates and she reappeared in the afternoon having received several in return. A practice of give and take. An exchange. A chance to share love on a day specifically designed to celebrate it.

Uniforms were shelved and Valentine attire encouraged, threads of pink and red and designs with hearts were worn in effort to spread the love. I thought about her throughout the day and pictured the heart shaped buttons on her dress, front and center for the world to see.

We’re told love is kind. We’re told that it’s patient. We’re told that love always protects and always trusts. We’re told it always hopes and always perseveres and nothing proves the strength of these sentiments more than parenting. We’re told love never fails and we tell ourselves this is true.

We hold their hands and whisper our prayers and we lift our wings to let them go a little more every day. We cross our fingers that our choices are good and their choices will be too. Attempts are made to be kind, to be patient, to protect and trust. We try our hardest to hope and persevere and we make every attempt not to fail them. 

It’s a constant game of give and take. It’s a never-ending exchange. It's a fact in the mirror staring back, every day is a chance to share love - not just the one designed to celebrate it. Every day is an opportunity to expose our hearts like buttons upon our chest, front and center for the world to see. Perhaps, love really is all we need.