LÍLLÉ Love Letters: Alyssa on "Sweetness"
by Alyssa
The day I became a mother I also became your teacher. It is my duty to teach you about the important things in life such as manners and to educate you on our world as much as possible. I may not know all the answers to every question that you will hold for me as you get older and discover more about yourselves, but I will always do my best to give you insight on what really matters and what will help define you, my sweet wild ones, as people in the future.
Before I become a parent I used simple words without putting much thought into them. A common word such as sweet never really meant much more than a gesture for my gratitude when I received a gift or as someone did something kind for us; sweet was just another word to me until I became your mother. When I use the word sweet to describe you, what you do not know is that I am not talking about a sweetness that can be bought in the store or can be measured in cups. It is not the candy we find in our cabinets and it can't be tasted, but I am sending you a hidden message, a way to say thank you for your kindness.
Sweetness is accomplished by doing unto others as you'd like to be done for you. When I hold the door open for a stranger as you watch my every move, I am trying to set forth an example of who I want you to be when you grow older, a person who is kind to others and isn't concerned about the few extra seconds they may gain in a store if you didn't hold the door. Flashing a smile at a stranger walking by isn't just about being sweet, but changing someone's day, adding a bit of sweetness to what may have been a once gloomy day for them can make all the difference without you even knowing what you have done with that simple and innocent expression.
When I call you my sweeties I am not saying it just to get hugs & kisses, but to tell you that I am proud of what you have done to make me happy & to make others happy. You don't just accomplish this by doing your chores or by using your manners, but by doing a good deed for others. Every time the words "You are so sweet" come out, what I am really telling you is that I am astonished by your selflessness, and that you are setting forth an example for the other children watching your actions. When I express my gratitude for your sweetness, I am expressing how proud I am of your actions. You are spreading love without even knowing what changes you can bring to someone's life, and I as your mother can't help but smile as I watch you do kindly acts.
If you take anything away from this, my sweet children, just remember - your sweetness can't be measured in cups or teaspoons but in smiles and joyous tears. My hopes for you is that you will always bring more happiness to someone's heart than a million donuts or Hershey Kisses could bring, more sweetness than any ice cream and more joy than any sugar. Keep spreading love to others as you show them kindness, you never know how much one simple gesture of selflessness could change a person's day, week or even year.
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