Layers of Love

Galatians 6:10 – “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone — especially to those in the family of faith.” 

I was digging through an old box when I found a photo I had not seen in years.

There I was: second grade me, with the biggest smile and standing in a green dress, white cardigan, and the tallest, most over-the-top Easter bonnet you have ever seen. It kind of looked a little bit like a birthday cake on top of my head. One with many layers and a ribbon that tied it under my chin.

I laughed out loud. “Wow, Mama… you really outdid yourself.”

And she did.

Our class was having an Easter parade, and every kid was supposed to make a bonnet. But I didn’t make mine. Instead, my mom stayed up at the kitchen table and tirelessly worked cutting and sewing, layering ribbon and lace until it was completed.

I was so proud to wear that bonnet. I felt like the queen of the Easter parade.

And now, looking at that picture as a grown woman, it is obvious to me what that Easter bonnet meant to me. I knew that I was loved by my mom.

It made me wonder how many people are walking through life without anyone making them feel cared for like that. Without anyone going the extra mile just to say, “You matter to me.”

We have the chance to be that for someone: to show up, to do more than is required, and to speak worth over someone’s life.

Because love that costs you something—even if it is just your time—is the kind people remember. And sometimes, the simplest things we make or give or do in love end up being the things they carry with them forever.