"I love her," he said.

The wise old fellow had a very direct reply. "I didn't ask you if you love her. I asked you if you like her." He explained difference.

He explained, as I did during ceremony, that falling in love is one thing. Being lifetime friends and companions is quite another. Falling in love is largely result of physical attraction, and is natural. To stay in love we must learn to like each other. That can be a bit more of a challenge than attraction, because it requires an ongoing exercise of maturity. It doesn’t just come naturally.

BARBER-OSOPHY: If a relationship lasts it's usually because those involved have worked at liking each other.

Copyright 2004, Sumerlin Enterprises.

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Keep ideas fresh. Pick up any parenting magazine and you’ll find lots of ideas to get those creative juices flowing in your kids. Search web and check out craft stores. Keep a journal or file for magazine clippings and ideas as you find them. Stockpile so that you’ll know how to answer whiny “I’m bored” call from kids.

Give them freedom. Once you’ve given kids some suggestions and supplies, step back and see which they choose and where they go with them. This unstructured play time gives kids an opportunity to stretch their creative muscles. Watch as they incorporate your ideas and branch out on their own.

Set an example. Chances are, if you are a creative person, your grandchild will be too. You display creativity in your everyday activities like when you reason with a disgruntled child, change lyrics to songs, and maybe even do some interpretive dancing to entertain a toddler. The children see your silliness and it rubs off on them. It’s a great idea to point out to your kids how you use creativity in your daily life.

As parents and grandparents, we always try to do very best for our kids and provide opportunities that will help them mature into intelligent, capable adults. Nurturing their creative spirits helps them along this road. With their well-developed imaginations, maybe they’ll turn it into a yellow brick, pink polka-dotted road with sparkles!