by Grace Witwer Housholder　明达　译

　　阅读难度☆☆☆

　　In February when we see the hearts and cupids associated with Valentine’s Day, we naturally think of romantic love. But there are many other kinds of love — the love parents have for their children, the love children have for their grandparents, the love we have for our siblings and our dear friends.

　　As far as romantic love, children are often confused as they try to make sense of impressions they see and hear. For example, in a column a number of years ago I told about two little girls who were playing wedding with their dolls, just a few days after attending a real wedding. The pretend pastor asked the pretend groom, “Do you take this woman to be your ‘awful-headed’(lawfully wedded) wife?”

　　We’d like to think that children’s quest for romance would stick with their dolls until they are grown up. In reality, even in elementary school little boys and little girls are eyeing each other.

　　When our son Paul was six he had a crush on a girl in his kindergarten class. Finding out about it, his three older sisters teased him unmercifully.

　　“Have you kissed her?” one sister asked.

　　“No!” he replied.

　　“Have you held her hand?”

　　“No!”

　　Then after a moment he said, “But I touched her chair!”

　　Sometimes young children go farther than touching a chair. They even make plans for marriage. More than 10 years ago, St. John Lutheran School preschoolers Nicolas and Lacey decided that when they grew up they were going to get married. One day while the class was talking about farms, Nicolas said, “When I get big I'm going to live on a farm and get up early to milk the cows!” Lacey, who was sitting next to him, piped up4, “Well, don’t wake me up!”

　　But young children don’t always plan marriage with their classmates. Sometimes little boys have future plans for their teachers. For example, Wanetta, the mother of four-year-old Christopher, was reading The News-Sun when she came across the story and picture about the wedding of Miss Hartmann.

　　“Oh, look, Christopher!” Wanetta said. “Your Sunday school teacher’s picture is in the paper!” Christopher glared at the groom. “I wanted her to wait ’til I grew up so I could marry her!” he said.

　　Sooner or later every parent needs to discuss the “facts of life” with their children. Nearly 20 years ago a co-worker, the father of three, told my husband that he had explained the facts of life to his 9-year-old son, with a lot of embarrassment. When the father was done, the boy looked at him with amazement, and then asked, “You and Mom did that THREE times?”

　　Moving on from romantic love, there is the love siblings have for each other. Parents hope that their children will love each other dearly and stand by each other throughout whatever life brings, sharing and helping without being asked. But as the children are growing up, the opposite is often true. Children’s natural tendency is to protect what they think is theirs and to acquire even more.

　　It’s amazing how quick-thinking some tots can be when it comes to defending their toys. When Kathy’s two daughters were toddlers they had identical goldfish that lived in the same fish bowl. One morning they sadly discovered one poor fish floating belly up, dead as a door nail. It was a pathetic6 sight. But even in her grief, little Jaime didn’t miss a beat.

　　Without a second to spare, she put a consoling arm around her little sister and said, “Oh Katie, so sorry YOUR fish died!”

　　When it comes to grandparents, kids have a special love that is expressed in a number of different ways.

　　In 2001 Beverly (mother of six, grandmother of 16) told me she had a lot of “senior” moments. Her granddaughter Brianna introduced Beverly to someone this way, “This is my grandma. Usually I finish her sentences for her!”

　　Also in 2001, Mike and Debbie brought two of their grandchildren home with them for about a week. When their daughter told her son, Michael, 4, that he would be coming home with his grandparents he was a little confused. He was lucky enough to have three grandmothers since great-grandparents and great-great grandparents are still living.

　　“Which Grandma and Grandpa?” he asked. His mom explained who Mike and Debbie were, and he said, “Oh, good, that’s the Squeezy Grandma!” He refereed to two of his other grandmas as “The Grandma With White Hair” and “The Grandma That Can Take Her Teeth Out!”

　　Kids often get confused by the term grandparent and great-grandparent.

　　More than one child, when asked if he or she was referring to a “great-grandparent” or simply a “grandparent,” has given the quick response — “They’re all great!”

　　Another confusing term can be “son.”

　　While getting ready for church, Brenda overheard her husband teaching their daughter Ariel, 3, and their son Jordan, 2, the meaning of “son.” All of a sudden Ariel came running to Brenda and said, “Mommy, Mommy! Guess what? Jordan is Daddy’s son and I’m his moon!”

　　That reminds me of when Wendy said, “Peter Pan7, you are the sun, the moon and the stars!”

　　And Peter Pan replied, “Yes, I know!”

　　Children think the world revolves around them.

　　Fortunate are the children whose parents understand how their love, guidance and encouragement can help their children — the stars in their life — shine brightly!