Put a Little Love in your Heart

While folding laundry this weekend, the song "Put a little Love in Your Heart" started playing in my head, and I began singing. Ella was in the family room, and came in to see what brought my sudden performance on. She stood there watching and listening to me for a few seconds. When I finally turned to her, she had the biggest grin on her face and said, "Good Girl, Mommy. That is a good song."

Think of your fellow man

Lend him a helping hand

Put a little love in your heart

You see it's getting late

Oh, please don't hesitate

Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place

And the world will be a better place

For you and me

You just wait and see

This song, written and sung by Jackie DeShannon, was released in 1969. DeShannon also sung the familiar "What the World Needs Now is Love" song (that also appeared in my head ysesterday.) DeShannon was quite a visionary, wasn't she? 40 years ago - she got it. She knew that this message of LOVE needed to get out. Interesting to me that 40 years later, the message still needs to be told.

A few weeks ago I started a new parenting technique with Ella - who was in the midst of a crazy toddler tantrum. She was having quite the fit going on and on over something that she wanted (and that I wasn't giving to her), and she was MAD. I knelt down right in front of her and said, "Ella. . . I love you." Well, it didn't calm her right away . . . but after repeating that a couple more times - she stopped and looked at me and said, "I love you too, Mommy." And her fighting stopped. It was at that time that I realized we ALL need to know that we are loved. We need to feel it. We need to give it. . . . . the whole world needs LOVE.

Today, I want the world to be a better place, so I am choosing to put a little love in my heart. I sat down at the computer last night and drew the above cartoon of me, loving the world. I can see that printed on a t-shirt - can't you? Let's spread love today. Won't you join me? Tell someone you love them - and not someone you usually tell. Let's spread it out a little bit further. Someone who might not quite expect it. And share this story with them. Perhaps they will pass it on. Hopefully, as the song goes . . . the world will be a better place, for you and me. Put a little love in your heart.