LOVE: A FEELING. A VERB. A DECISION. A GIFT. AN INGREDIENT TO ADD

Missing close contact with my just-turned-ten twin grandchildren, I’m reminising, remembering, and reposting about the first time we made bread together. At the terribly terrific age of two, they were so eager to explore everything and help with everything. Some may call me crazy, but I love the so called “terrible twos.”  Here’s that day…

My husband, Frank, and I had assembled the ingredients and let the sister and brother add spoonfuls and scoopfuls. After the sugar, salt, yeast, water, milk, butter, and flour were somewhat properly mixed, we all took turns kneading. Suddenly, I exclaimed, “Oh, Alexis and Anthony. I almost forgot to add the love.”

Although lots of loving had been part of the process, I wanted to add love consciously. And I wanted to speak of love and show love to them in many different ways. So I took a deep breath, smiled broadly, and kneaded a minute longer, while reciting, “Love, love, love…”

“I don’t see the love, Nana,” said Anthony. “Where is it? I want to see it.” 

Alexis looked at her brother and then at me, expectantly. She seemed to agree. She could see the sugar, salt, yeast, water, milk, and flour. But where was the love?

Needless to say, two-year-olds are not fully ready to grasp abstract concepts like love. However, they are beginning to understand them. They know what it’s like to love and be loved. Nevertheless, these two wanted to see love with their eyes.

Don’t we all, at times, want to see and know love better?

Strength. Beauty. Courage. Compassion. Hope. Joy. Talent. Imagination. Reverence. Wisdom. Love. Faith. The Twelve Gifts. We can’t see them with our eyes. We can’t open them like birthday presents. But they are in us, and we can open our hearts to them. We can add them mindfully to everything that we make and everything that we do. It will make a difference too.

#dailyinspiration #inspirationalquotes #lifegifts #mindfulness #consciousparenting #conciousgrandparenting #loveisaverb #loveisadecision #breadmaking #terribletwos #thejoyofcooking #thetwelvegifts