Love At Lunch

By: Heather Bright

“I am so proud of you. XOXO Mommy”

With three kids, I’ve written several versions of this simple encouragement over the past few years they have been in school. Recently, I opened a small pocket on my daughter’s lunch bag and found several of these crumpled, food-stained lunch notes. Of all the profound ways I’ve read to be a successful parent, or every article with proven ideas to make my kids flourish, none are as simple as a folded napkin signed by Mom.

If your home is like mine, mornings can be hectic and hurried. In the chaos we call morning routine, my kids grab their lunches and head out the door. Let’s be real… if our mornings reflected my parenting prowess, I would score pretty low on the charts. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that I love my children fiercely. I will never be a perfect parent, but I will love them and encourage them no matter how many times a shoe goes missing when it is time to walk out the door.

Once they are finally on the bus or dropped off in the carpool lane, I don’t have much control of what they experience over the next seven hours. But I know they have lunch at the same time every day. If I take the time to scribble a simple note, offer a prayer for safety and protection, and draw a silly picture, I get to be a part of those seven hours. I can’t shield them from every mean word or bad influence, but I can whisper a small reminder of a safe place called “Mom.”

As Valentine’s Day approaches, now is the time to start this simple practice that could make the difference in a bad day. I keep small notecards and stickers in one of our kitchen cabinets. When I know there’s a test, or just want to send a hug, I write a short note and pack it with their turkey sandwich. Here are some of my favorite notes to send:

• I am so proud of you and I love you always.
• You. Are. The. Best.
• Good luck on your test – You got this!
• I believe in you.
• Your smile makes me so happy.

Recently, as my kids have started being responsible for packing their own lunches, I still get requests to leave notes in their lunches. Even better, my oldest daughter now leaves sweet notes in her brother and sister’s lunch boxes. With her single piece of candy taped to a tiny note, this tradition has created a way for our family to share love even when we are away from each other.

This morning, during our typical hurried routine, I realized I had not packed my own lunch. I asked my husband to put the leftovers from last night’s dinner in my bag. At noon today, I found seven small words on a piece of scrap paper:

You are my world I love you!!

You can imagine the difference it made in my day. Start today. Give your kids or your spouse a reason to smile when they open their lunch bags tomorrow.