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Day 17 #Loveuary ❤ What Does Love Mean to Kids

17 Feb 2017 50 Comments

by Ritu in #loveuary, Children, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #loveuary, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Children, love, poem

I asked my children what love meant, and both of them, at separate times, mad faces at me, and went “Yuck!”

Typical reactions for an 11 and 9-year-old! Love = boys/girls = kissing. Of course, that’s ‘yuck’ to them!

After a little more explanation, the best we came up with was this;

Lil Man

“There is family and romantic love. That’s it. When you care for someone.”

Lil Princess

“Love is spending time with family, and friendship.”

Then my mum called me the other day. She has been having a proper clear out at my family home, and she found some cards, and letters that I had written to her and Pops, at a young age, around 7 or 8 I think. There was even a typed note! And they had lots about love for your parents within them, so I guess what I thought of some kind of love as a child. I thought they would be apt to share with you here!

The first picture says “I’ll never forget you. I will always love you mum.”
The second shows my Ritu and co trademark! Motherly Messages!
Inside was the following message.

To my dearest mummy
I love you mum
I love you so
In the mother’s competition
You’re the best in the row
But there’s one thing
I’d like to say
You’ll find love from me
Any day
Happy Mothers day
Put your feet up
Many kisses and even more love
From your best daughter
Ritu
xxx
(It’s your special day not ours so rest yourself!)

See, a poet from a young age!

And then there was this one…

To the best parents ever,

The best advice comes from#When you are in dire need of advice, who does it come from. It comes from the best advice givers, your mummy and daddy.
This is something that I believe.
Love Ritu
PS I would never wish for any other parents in my life as I love you both with the whole of my heart and I hope you also love me truly.
I LOVE YOU

Aw, the innocent love of children! Mind you I still feel this love for my dear parents! ❤

Remember, feel free to take part in #Loveuary! Just ping back to the daily post, as in this one for today! And if you are at a loss for a prompt, then visit my rules post here for a list of prompt suggestions!

Day 16 #Loveuary ❤ – Love Letters

16 Feb 2017 58 Comments

by Ritu in #loveuary, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #loveuary, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, love, Love letters, Messages, poem

Love letters… truly feel like a thing of the past.

But before we had Snapchat and WhatsApp, before text messages and mobile phones, even before the internet and emails, and prior to each house having a landline, which other method of communication was there, other than letters? A telegram was usually reserved for bad news, but the advent of a letter, eagerly awaited for, would turn a young lover’s day upside down.

I remember when Hubby Dearest and I were courting, and I moved back home, putting a three-hour distance between us, we would spend hours on the phone, and exchanging texts. But the highlight of my week was receiving a letter or a card from him, and then crafting a romantic reply. I loved the feel of a letter in my hand, knowing I could reread it at any time. In fact, I have a box full of our correspondence still. One day, I may allow my children to read them, but not yet!

I can’t speak for my In-laws but I know my parents had that element of romance in their post-engagement courtship too. It warms my heart each time I think of the fact that my Pops still keeps one of my mum’s letters to him, in his wallet. A little plastic pocket with a letter, the words of a poem that my mum wrote visible, and a flower she sent in the letter all in his wallet. He laughs that he keeps mum close to his bum at all times, but in reality, how romantic is that? Over 45 years, he’s kept it! So sweet!

If there are any youngsters out there reading this, I can only say one thing. Please keep writing love letters. They are the epitome of romance in my eyes! Not pictures of your anatomy sent by Snapchat!

I write to you a letter
And within it, enclose my heart
My wishes for our future
And my dreams that we never do part

I send to you a love song
The words meaning so much
They tell you what you mean to me
Your heart, I hope, They touch

I pen some lines of poetry
My feelings written in verse
Just so you know I’m there for you
For better or for worse

I post inside a flower
The fragrance still just there
So you can smell the scent of it
And know I’ll always care

I write to you a letter
As, each week, I do
And hope you know how much you mean
I truly do love you

Ritu 2017

Day 15 #Loveuary ❤ – Affection

15 Feb 2017 28 Comments

by Ritu in #loveuary, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #loveuary, Affection, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Haiku, love

Love is a feeling that comes in many strengths.

The deep passion you feel for your other half.

The ‘I’d die for you’ love you feel for your children.

The all encompassing love you feel for your pet.

The ‘crush’ love you feel for that celebrity…

Affectionate love is that kind of feeling that just makes you go ‘Awwww!’

When you think something or someone is cute. Like a baby, or a child. It isn’t quite as strong as love, per se, but affection is definitely a feeling in itself, that manifests itself into a type of love. A type of tenderness, fondness…

When I look at you
I feel a strong affection
And want to hug you!

Ritu 2017

Day 14 #Loveuary ❤ – Valentine

14 Feb 2017 69 Comments

by Ritu in #loveuary, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #loveuary, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, love, poem, Valentines Day

Valentine’s Day is here. The reason this month has got all red, pink and fluffy! We’ve been bombarded with adverts, cards and flowers, deals on hotels and fancy meals, for the best part of two months at least, and now it’s here.

But hasn’t it all got far too commercialised?

It’s a great idea, to have a day to show your love, but that shouldn’t be the only day. If you love someone, you love them everyday, yet the businesses out there have cottoned on to the fact that there is huge money to be made out of days like today. If the other half doesn’t get a card, the Missus will be miffed, that sort of thing!

I, for one, never lose an opportunity to tell him that I love him. Every day. Today, for me is just an extra reason to shower him with a little extra love. But along with him, the love is showered on all my family and friends.

It can’t be a bad thing to spread love, can it? If only for a day, let there be love around the world. ❤

My Valentine

Today’s the day to profess my love
To coo to you, my turtle dove
The day I say how much I care
How to be with you I’d go anywhere

To shower you with kisses and hugs
Cuddly toys and romantic mugs
A bunch of roses, must be red
And propose that I think we should wed

But why today on St Valentine,
When every day I want you to be mine?
Everyday you change my life
For not one day are we husband and wife

Know my love will never end
Even when you drive me round the bend
A chance to celebrate, it’s true
The very fact that I love you

Ritu 2017

Day 10 #Loveuary – Finding You/Flame #writephoto

10 Feb 2017 61 Comments

by Ritu in #loveuary, #WritePhoto, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #loveuary, #WritePhoto, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Finding You, Flames, love, Love and Loss, Sue Vincent, Technology

A little fiction, based around my prompt words ‘finding you’, and tying my #Loveuary post in with Sue’s #writephoto prompt this week.

Jack looked over at Jamie and Rose, cosying up next to their Grandma Maggie on the small sofa. The flames from the fireplace cast a warming glow over the room.

“Nan nan, how much do you love me?” six-year-old Jamie turned to his grandma.

“Oh my handsome boy, I love you as far as you can see,” and she smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sides.

Those eyes, Jack thought. They may have old skin around them now, but they still held the same beauty to him, as they had fifty years before.

“But do you love me more than Grandpa Jack?” the cheeky chappy questioned.

Rose’s two-year-old eyes were drooping. She sucked her thumb and snuggled in closer to her Grandma. Maggie put her arm around her infant granddaughter and held her close.

The love in those arms, the same love she showed to our own children, all those years before. Jack almost felt that he was looking at his wife in the throes of motherhood.

What he wouldn’t give to get back to those days… or even just a few years back.

To see those eyes look at him, filled with love, once more. To feel those arms pulling him closer in an embrace.

But he had to be satisfied with this, simply watching… Cruel fate had intervened in their happy life, snatching him from this Earth. He was grateful that he could still be there, watching over her, his Maggie.

I was lucky to find you all those years ago… now I’ll wait, for the time when you come to find me…