It was only a dream...

I think four year-olds are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.

Of all the people in the world, I honestly believe they do one thing better than anyone else - they know how to love.

Think about it. When you're four, you're not afraid of telling people what you think. If someone you love hurts your feelings, you can tell them that they are making you sad. If they do something nice for you, it makes you the happiest person in the whole world, and you don't think twice about throwing your arms around them and saying thank you. There is a simplicity to your actions...a lack of hidden agendas and worries.

When you're four, it's okay if someone doesn't make total sense to you. You accept that people do funny things, and look stupid every now and then. You don't feel the need to question their motives. If your friend is mean, you tell them that they're being stupid - and then you make up and forgive them when it's over. You trust that the people who care about you will always be there when you need them, and you make them hand-made gifts to bring a smile to their face when they are sad.

You hold someone's hand when one of you is afraid, and you have no qualms about giggling with them until you fall down when they say something funny. You curl up beside them when you are cold, sleepy, or just happy, and you aren't worried about what they're going to think if you tell them your deepest, darkest secrets. You share your cookies, remind them to say please and thank you, and kiss their cheeks whenever the mood strikes you.

There is an innocence to the love of a four year-old. An enthusiasm. A lack of fear, and a sense that no matter what happens, everything is going to be okay.

So many situations require us to be adults. Jobs, finances, responsibilities...all of these things force us to weigh the risks and benefits of every choice we make. Love, though, is an anomaly. It's not meant to be measured or calculated. It is the simplest, most basic human emotion there is.

So today, at some point, why not indulge your inner peanut? Choose one person that you completely adore, and just tell them that you enjoy them as much as a fudgicle on a hot summer day. Forget about looking dumb. Never mind feeling embarrassed. Just abandon the stupid protocols, and make them smile for the pure joy of bringing happiness into their life.

Go ahead. You'll be amazed at how good it feels to be four again, if only for a moment.