I noticed a little girl who was peering at a purple flower on a shrub while her grandpa was standing off to the side. As I walked by, I said to her, “It is a beautiful flower, isn’t it!” and kept walking. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that—with vigor—she had plucked it off and started to turn around toward me with it held up. I paused, and turned to look at her and said, “Oh, were you going to give that flower to me?” She deliberately nodded, “Yes.” I walked back to her, she held it up a bit higher, and I bent down onto my knees to get level with her face. I happily accepted the flower and told her it was sweet of her, and that she was precious. She grinned while looking into my eyes through her heart-shaped sunglasses. We “chatted” for a minute and then went our separate ways.

That precious 3-year-old gave me the gift of pure love when she presented me with the purple flower. It had nothing to do with who I was, and it was ALL about “who she was.” I was a stranger, and she had no expectation of getting anything in return. I was just the fortunate passerby that day.

My therapist always said to “love because love is the gift itself.” She would remind me to love without expecting anything in return. It’s hard not to want anything back. It is wonderful when love, kindness, tolerance, patience, forgiveness etc. is reciprocated—but, if we only display love and its attributes because we expect something in return, then we are really missing the power of loving for love’s sake.

The little girl loved with purity of heart. She gave me the purple flower with no expectation of anything. She could because love flowed freely from her heart. Love itself was the gift we both received that day.

Cheri Thomas

Cheri works as a Peer Support Specialist for RI in Arizona. She has experienced loss and grief which has led her to write for the masses to bring voice to those in similar situations. Cheri possesses a deep passion to share with, encourage, and inspire others on what she calls the Journey of the Heart.