Last week, I took a break. Amy and I went on our pre-anniversary trip. Since she is a school teacher, taking a trip on our actual anniversary is difficult since the actual date is right after school starts. Because of that annual conflict we decided to make a trip in the summer as a pre-anniversary trip. This year we spent a few days in Charleston, SC. While there we visited historic sights, a few antebellum and plantation homes, took a carriage ride, ate way to much, and stayed in an inn built in the late 18th  to early 19th Century.

We also took a couple of evenings to walk Folly Beach on the Atlantic Coast. Our last night in Charleston was one of those evenings.  The tide was still high, but receding and we were looking at the different sea shells and sea sponges that the tide left on the beach. We were trying to get a picture of the sunset, like the one above that we took on our Tuesday walk. The clouds and the tide pools would not cooperate, so we walk north along the beach and sat for a while on one of the concrete wave breaks just taking in the view around us.

As we were walking back to our car, a young couple with a little girl was walking toward us.  As we past and exchanged “hello” and nods, the little girl also said, “Hi.”  Amy and I both responded, “Hi.”  That is when something unexpected happened.  It even took me a couple of steps to figure out what happened. What happened was a great end to our evening and our time in Charleston. This little 3 year old girl said one more thing, she simply said “I love you.”

I love you.

My heart melted. Such a sweet moment. She did not know us. We may never meet again, but her three little words became a blessing to me – “I love you,” she said.

The Savior said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4). Paul reminds us, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” (Romans 12:9).

May I learn to love like this little girl.

To her parents I say, “What ever you are doing to raise such a loving child, please, by all means, keep up the good work. Thank you. I love you and your little girl,”

-Scott