LOVE: The more we give - the more we get

We make a living by what we get-

we make a life by what we give!  ~W.Churchill

In today's Children's Day article we want to share a self written story that parents and children gave to their class teacher as farewell gift. Farewell gifts for teachers are common when children leave school, but this time it was an especially meaningful, emotional moving gift, which includes a special MJ-touch. Instead of a short speech with some words of thanks one parent wrote a story about love and read it on the last day at the farewell ceremony. It remains to say that the children of this class haven´t particularly privileged parents. It´s more the opposite. Some have  to fight hard with what is called a new social reality. Every day is a day of battlling to survive; unemployment determines material shortages and the problems of being single parents  mark their lifes. These facts make these  parent´s  gift even more precious.

Now the bench has its place in the teacher´s garden, where she is constantly reminded of how important it is to spread love in a place, where most people expect cognitive performances  first.

A small unimposing bench stood on a large meadow. Many people cavorted with friends in the meadow - but no one sat down on the bench. People always are in a hurry and sometimes forget the essentials and as well the small but important things in life.

One day a little boy looked at the bench, gently caressed over the wood, sat down on the bench and watched the people around him.

"You know, dear bench," the boy said, "people always talk about LOVE. But I don´t really know what that means."

The wooden bench began to creak a little and answered:

"Oh, there are so many different kinds of LOVE, but every kind of love is made of many; many small things.Imagine , love needs a frame that is TRUST. Trust. is what holds everything together. "

"Trust I know! That's when I tell someone a secret and can be sure that he doesn´t pass it on. Or if you're scared and you have no doubts that you are helped."

"Yes, that is TRUST. But there are still many, many things, all of which sum up to something very big."

"The Love?" the boy asked.

"Yes,  right. Love is there, where people encourage each other ... and care."

"Oh, I don´t like  caring! Always cleaning up the room!"

The bench corrected amused : "No, caring is when someone cares about you and cares for you."

"Oh, I see.Yes, then I do know that, too!"

"Sometimes a dispute can also be love. Most important, however, is the reconciliation after a disput."

The child interrupted: "At school, we argue and our teacher always says, we may disagree, but we should not be at odd with our classmates.And after we have been at strife, she helps us to meet again. Please continue, dear bench, what there is more than this to love. "

"When you are sad or grief you need SUPPORT and SOLACE. FRIENDSHIP, TOLERANCE and ACCEPTANCE are also parts of LOVE. To SHARE JOY with each other and especially ENJOY each other is important."

"Uhmm ... Our teacher showed us that everyone is special, no matter how he looks or what he is good at. It is important to like others the way they are -and  to appreciate them just because they are different."

"More small little things," the bench continued, "which make up the love, are: GENEROSITY, UNDERSTANDING, ATTENTION and EMPATHY. Also, HELP, WARMTH and INTENTIONAL  SELF-LIMINTATION are important."

"Yes, that's right!"  the boy shouted. "Well, if I have not done my homework, my teacher doesn´t have that much understanding, but otherwise, she helps us whenever we haven´t understood something, she always listens if we have personal problems and  sometimes she dispenses for us  her leisure time. But that´s something we children do as well for her. "

The bank noted:

 “I think you knew what LOVE is before, you just weren´t aware all the many names for love! "

"I think so too, but I´m no dictionary. Is there more to love than that?"

"There is something else: LOYALTY and TENDERNESS! And most of all is to love even LET GO, even though it is very difficult!"

The boy just sat there in silence, thinking. Then he concluded: 
"In our class we are helped and comforted, we are  encouraged, we have fun, we share  everything and we trust each other. All the things related to love, I have already experienced at school - and at home. I think our teacher really loves us because she let us go very soon, although she would like to stay us."

And suddenly something changed with the bench. Magically by and by the names of the classmates the boy had spoken of appeared on the backrest.

The bench said to the astonished boy:
"In your class is so much  LOVE. Take me to your school. I'm helping your teacher to remember .... and you are helping me to finally be used.."





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