Love Notes.

I'm wrapped up in a zebra print blanket on my couch.
I have 2 twelve page articles to read, 2 papers to write, and a lot of textbooks calling my name.
Every blink feels like getting out of bed on a cold December morning. Impossible.
And my nose is cold.

But I'm thinking of one thing.
Love notes.

I love love notes.
No, I'm not talking about love texts. Not love emails. Not love phone calls. Or pictures.


Love notes.

Handwritten and personal.

And I don't just mean from that special someone either.
Because I don't always have one of those. (Okay let's be real... do I ever have one of those?)

I'm talking about that little slip of paper splattered with those words you just needed to hear.

Who doesn't love that?

I mean they're just....they're just so.... so.... unexpected.
So subtle.
So surprising.
And rewarding.

It all started in elementary school.
Everyday I carried a brown paper bag to school filled with all sorts of healthy goodies. (And when I say "goodies" I mean peanut butter with apples, or frosted graham cracker sandwiches... Thanks to muscle man on the cover of "Body for Life" Henriksen goodies were always a little different than most...)
Everyday I would sit at the long, overly sterilized cafeteria table and peek in that small brown bag.
And more often than not, I would see a little pink sticky note. Or yellow. Or blue.

It was a love note.

From my mom. Reminding me just how much she loves me.

And so the story goes. From then on, I was hooked. Hooked on love notes.

Elementary school was filled with brown paper bags and small sticky notes or backsides of to-do lists (she was a mom of 6 kids...and you thought your life was hard.) 
Middle school was filled with crazy note foldings and glitter gel pens.
High school was thoughtful letters and birthday cards.
And college? College is filled with "when you need it most's" and "just because's."

But today is different.
Today isn't about that special someone, that best friend, or even that mother.
Today isn't about elementary school, special holidays, or even college.

Today, I am thinking of them.

Because no one's ever given them a love note.
They've never found any stickies in their lunch bags, or gel pens in 4th period.

So today I want to share something special. Something I hold near and dear to my heart. Something I've spent hours pouring over. Watching until my eyes closed and restarting once they were open. Working day and night to help finish and send out to anyone and everyone I could think of. Praying that someone, somewhere would listen. That somebody out there would understand just a glimpse of what they go through. Every single day. And care. Care enough to act.

Because I know that if they would, those precious lives would be saved.

Next month, they may not be able to make those crafts and sing those songs.
Next month they may not have an education.
Next month, they may not have a safe place to go. 

Because next month, they may just run out of money.
Run out of resources.
And run out of hope.

Today, I want to share my love note for them.

So to my dear little ones,
this one's for you.

(Press play and then double click for better view)


*Please feel free to share this love note with as many friends as possible. They need our love.