Love is…

When I was little-probably somewhere around Carter’s age-we did a musical at church called Down by the Creek Bank.

I loved that musical, and although there are a lot of things from my childhood that I don’t remember,
I am fairly certain that I could sing almost every word of that musical to you today.

I remember us shaking long strips of blue fabric to make it look like water.
I remember wearing overalls and pigtails…
And being thrilled that I was actually allowed to go barefoot in church!

There was the song about “Germs”, the invisible dog who lived in my pocket and fell asleep at church.
And the fill-in-the-blank song about Jonah and Zachaeus and Daniel.
And one about the boy with fish and bread…

But the thing I remember the most is the song “Love Is…”

Love is a very special thing –
A smile, a tear, a soft summer rain.
It has no beginning it has no end,
But I like it best when its shared with a friend.

Love is never stuffed up, ever puffed up,
Never gives up when the going’s rough.
It’s the biggest little word you can say, by the way.
Its sympathy, sincerity, its charity, the main variety
Of everything happiness is made of.

And I like it best when it’s shared with a friend.

Sure it’s cheesy.
(But I am, too.)

And I’m glad that every now and then these words pop into my head.
It doesn’t hurt to have a reminder that love is what happiness is made of.
It doesn’t hurt to be reminded that we should always be showing sympathy, sincerity and charity.

So even though Marshall and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day,
I am celebrating love.
It’s a very special thing!