“…small things with great love”

“…small things with great love.” That is part of a quote by Mother Theresa. Those words came to mind after my daughter was on the receiving end of what might seem like small things done with great love. Valentine’s Day has come and gone but her little heart has continued to be filled with love thanks to the kindness of others.

On Valentine’s Day the Little Miss went home sick from school. She apparently tried to hang in there after all it was Valentine’s Day and for a third grader that meant a chance to exchange her special Valentine’s and enjoy treats with her classmates. Sadly she was stricken with either a stomach bug or food poisoning. When I picked her up she was so sad. We came home and she crawled into my bed to gaze at her sister and fell asleep. Later her dad came home with Valentine’s from his coworkers. She was excited but also shared with me that she couldn’t wait to go back to school Tuesday (Monday was President’s Day) to exchange Valentine’s with her friends.

Tuesday night her little eyes were sad. Someone had stolen her Valentine’s. My heart was sad for her and I was angry. I was angry because I know all too well that children can be cruel. We talked about it and how important it is that she not be that kind of person. And of course, still being upset I did what any upset parent would do – I posted on Facebook. Sure, I understood they were kids who did this but mean is mean and I believe mean people suck no matter how old they are. And of course this was my child and her little heart had been broken. For her, this was a big deal.

The next day she came home with an envelope with Valentine’s and goodies. A friend of mine from her school and her family had made Valentine’s for her. When she got home that evening she ran to show me. Her eyes had the same sparkle I had hoped to see that Tuesday. But the kindness didn’t end there. Heidi and her sons sent Valentine’s all the way from Canada. And again I got to see her eyes sparkle as she opened up a package filled with goodies (all the way from Canada!). She is still raving about her Canadian chocolate.
I know it’s March now, but I still wanted to share this with you and with her. One day when she is older she will read this and she will be reminded of how small things, when done with great love, can make a big impact on someone. She will be reminded that some very special people wanted to add some joy to her day. I know these women and they are very busy and yet they took the time to let my child know that out of bad situations good things can still come forth. They took the time to remind her that she is important and special and not forgotten. Their act of kindness overrode the sadness she felt over her stolen Valentine’s.

So as we enter into March I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the small things that we do. The thank yous, the hugs, the letters, the smiles, the various things that we do to bring a little bit of joy to the lives of others. The things that we don’t do out of obligation but purely out of love. Great love.