Love At the Fabric Store

While waiting in line at the local fabric and crafts store yesterday, a grandmother and her two granddaughters joined me. The older girl was probably about 5 and the younger seemed about 2 ½ or 3. She was young enough to be carried without too much difficulty by her grandmother, who had an injured foot.

The older girl immediately moved forward to look at the display of stuffed animals, and the candy packages next to them in front of the checkout stand. Of course, the little one wanted to join her, so Grandma set her down, with a reminder to touch gently.

The child ignored the candy and instead moved quickly to the display of stuffed animals. She selected a small dog and immediately planted a kiss on the dog’s forehead and returned it to the shelf. That done, she moved over slightly and picked up another dog. This one received a heartfelt hug before its kiss. She repeated this four or five times, sometimes choosing a dog, sometimes another animal. Then, her attention caught by the candies, she began putting a small bag of candy into the paws of each animal.

Her innocent offer of love and her desire to give something special to someone she found loveable, the stuffed animals, was a reminder for me of the way children are channels of Love to all of us. She wanted nothing from the toys. She did not demand or expect a response from them. She didn’t think to expect her grandmother to give her a toy or any candy. She just let her love flow out to the toy animals in front of her.

I left the store with a smile and a reminder to keep looking at my world through the eyes of Love too.