Just a little love
What is it that a very young child, every elderly adult and every middle-aged person have in common? The lyrics of the song “What the World Needs Now,” written by the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, tells us:
“What the world needs now, is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now, Is love, sweet love, No, not just for some, oh, but just for every, every, everyone.
Lord, we don’t need another mountain, There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb, There are oceans and rivers enough to cross, Enough to last till the end of time ... What the world needs now, Is love, sweet love ... No, not just for some, oh, but just for every, every, everyone.”
One may think the very young are the neediest for love and attention. But in reality, the very young to the very oldest all have the need to feel that they are loved. Everyone needs another human being who cares about them and thinks their life, their existence is important, no matter the age. Every person on the universe deserves to have at least one person that is just crazy about them.
Life is sacred, whether it is a newborn baby, an elderly 90-year-old or a child with disabilities. No one should be brushed aside because they are not like the average, so called, “normal” person. We all have positives, and we all have negatives. If we are rated worthy by either, we do ourselves an injustice. We are all children of God and should see ourselves and others as precious and having worth.
What are some ways we can make an impact on building up others and helping them to see their innate worth?
The Elderly – They may not hear as well or see as well or have the quick cognitive skills they once had. So ask yourself what you can do to show respect and love to those aging persons in our society.
• Try to be patient as you repeat what you have just said a couple of more times if they can’t comprehend as fast or hear as well as they used to. When you have to speak louder for them to hear you, don’t so exaggerate your voice that you sound agitated.
• Go by and visit and call often to check on them. It is hard living alone and not having contact with someone on a regular basis, especially if homebound.
• Do some of errands they can’t do, especially if they don’t drive any more.
• Listen to their stories with interesting eyes even if you have heard them a thousand times.
• Tell them you are glad they are a part of your life to help them understand they still have worth.
• Take time to play a game of dominos or cards, etc. You might be surprised at how well they can do. They may just beat you at the game.
All in all, treat them as you want to be treated when you are their age.
Children – What makes a child feel special might surprise you and can be very simple.
Children feel special when they are noticed, listened to, heard and respected. Stating back to them what they said to you says I acknowledge you and hear what you are saying.
• Let your kids overhear you brag on them, cuddle with them, and especially with boys, do some rough housing.
• The morning-start sets the quality of the day. Try to start the day by getting everyone up early enough so as to not have to hurry them and so you won’t be barking orders to get them out the door. When there are conflicts and power struggles in the beginning of the day, your child will feel they are less important than their parent’s agenda for the day.
Teens – Teens need special touches, too. Remember their brains don’t fully mature until around age 24, so they will act immature most of the time.
• Connect with your teen by making eye contact and physical touch such as a pat, a hug or kiss. When you look directly in your teen’s eyes while touching them, tell them, “I love you and think you are so awesome.” They will feel your love in a much greater way.
• Do unexpected loving acts of kindness
The General Public – On purpose do all you can to teach the world to be friendly and caring as you go about your day.
• Be the first to smile and speak to those in which you cross paths.
• Open doors for others. • Let someone go ahead of you in the check-out line.
• Pay for someone else’s coffee or meal.
• Let a driver go ahead of you in heavy traffic.
There is a book called, “You Are Special” by Max Lucado.
The town is a place where the people are wooden people. They spend their time sticking gold stars or gray dots on each other. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, they got gray dots. There was one boy who had many, many gray dots. One day, he met a girl who had neither dots nor stars. So the boy inquired as to why she had neither. The boy decided to go to his Maker to ask why the dots or stars did not stick to her. Upon finishing the visit, the boy’s Maker told him, “Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what the other people think. The stickers only stick if you let them.” The boy’s Maker told him to come to see him every day and eventually all his dots would fall off. Gradually, the young boy began to see himself as his Maker saw him, and because he could see himself as his Maker saw him, all the dots did fall off.
May we stop putting “dots and stars” on each other and see that we all have worth; may we see ourselves and others as our Maker sees us.
As you seek to make others feel special, you gain a higher level of happiness and life satisfaction, yourself. Research has proven that when we care about the welfare of others, we enjoy life much, much more than when we do not. Let’s give the world what it needs – “love sweet love.”
