In our February 2 blog post, we started a list of more than 20 ways in which young children discuss the meaning of love. Here are numbers six through 10.

6. ‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.’ Danny – age 7

7. ‘Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss’ Emily – age 8

8. ‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.’ Bobby – age 7 (Wow!) ‘

9. If you want to learn to love better , you should start with a friend who you hate.’ Nikka – age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)

10. ‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt , then he wears it everyday.’ Noelle – age 7 ‘

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this amazing email describing what love is came into my inbox. I think it perfectly captures the Five More Minutes With zeitgeist, so I will be sharing it the next couple of weeks for all to enjoy.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds , ‘What does love mean?’”

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined See what you think:

1. ‘When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’ Rebecca- age 8 ‘

2. When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’ Billy – age 4 ‘

3. Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’ Karl – age 5

4. ‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.’ Chrissy – age 6

5. ‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’ Terri – age 4

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Last week, one of our Featured Stories centered upon my experience with the Marjorie Glacier in Alaska. I noted that as much as I enjoyed watching the giant glacier calve, it also meant that (sadly) she was dying.

Today, on a happier note, I’d like to share with you another way in which I enjoy spending a stolen moment or three with “my” glacier.

Any time (and there are many!) I feel unhappy or stressed out, I visualize Marjorie–her quiet strength and sheer majesty–and feel suddenly transported.

Do you have a glacier, sunset, sunrise, or mountain top you can visualize in times of trouble? I hope so, as I think that everybody needs such a place of solitude and comfort.

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In 2009, Spencer and I took our very first-ever trip to Alaska on a seven-day Holland America Line cruise. Spencer and I always joked that we were about the only people we knew (particularly since we live in the Northwest and enjoy such proximity to the 49th state) who hadn’t ever made the mythic journey.

Alaska more than lived up to its reputation for gorgeous vistas, quirky people, and outstanding seafood.

But it was cruising in and out of Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, that really made the trip for both Spencer and me, and in particular our visit to the Marjorie Glacier, the park’s “star” glacier, pictured above.

Marjorie was in full calving mode (meaning huge blocks of ice were cracking and falling off into the water beneath) the week of our cruise, mainly due to the unseasonably hot weather we encountered. . .close to 90 degrees! During our port calls, we almost melted since (understandably) most shops and restaurants in Alaska have no air-conditioning.

Anyway, standing at the bow of the big cruise ship, while several thousand of our fellow passengers watched in awe and total silence, we were lucky enough to witness Marjorie calve several times during our two hours of viewing pleasure.

As much as we loved watching this true phenomenon of nature, it was a bittersweet experience because while she was calving, it meant the glacier was dying.

Do you realize that each of us dies a little bit each day as we move toward the inevitable end of our lives?

Knowing that, do you pack as much pleasure and happiness into each day as you possibly can?

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