Seems that ever since school started again after winter break, Chris and I began noticing that Logan just was not eating nearly enough of the lunch that I packed for him everyday. In fact, it was so bad that, based on what came back home with him, he was only eating half of one item from his lunch box. Half a granola bar or half the cheese stick or half the apple…leaving all the rest untouched. How could he possibly function on such little amounts of food each day? Chris and I sat him down and implored him to eat more-explaining what item he should go for first and then second if time allowed. Well aware that lunch time isn’t really very long, Chris and I still figured that  if Logan was well behaved, then he should at least have enough time to make it through the two healthiest items.

We tried this ritual a few days, reminding him of the most important item to eat first and it still didn’t seem a successful venture. Then, to my surprise, I found out that I have someone on the inside…a girlfriend of mine volunteers in the lunchroom each day and actually mentioned to me that Logan doesn’t eat very much at lunch! I knew it, I told her and was quick to let her know that I would tell Logan that I have someone watching him and reporting back to me–maybe that would nudge him to take his lunch eating more seriously. She told me not to do that, but quickly eased my mind when she told me that he spends time during lunch reading my notes to his friends!

Everything stopped going through my mind at that moment. My hand reached for my heart and I melted a little inside. Ok, a lot.

You see, Hallmark sells these sweet little notes that you can fill out each day and place inside your child’s lunch box. I started adding them to his lunchbox in January … after school started back up … how about that for timing? Coincidence? Hmmm…

Each note has pre-written words on it. Some, like this one from today, offer a complete thought. It says, “Did you know that you make the world a better place just by being in it? Well, you do. And the people of the world and I, we thank you.”

This is what some of them look like.

Others offer words, but then leave some space for my own inspiration!

I was so smitten that my guy: 1. Reads my notes 2. Likes my notes and 3. Likes my notes enough to read them to his friends! (And he does it enough that my friend even noticed and told me about it!)

I learned something very special from all of this. While my boy(s) may eventually grow to the point where it isn’t cool to read love notes out loud from their mom anymore, (picture high school lunch…DeZeeuw boys pulling out a little note with hearts on it from mom. Haha!) I will still make little extra gestures to show them my love. Because no matter what that will look like, they will receive it, and they will feel it in their hearts. Because DeZeeuw boys feel love in their hearts. I know this.

The End.

P.S. The ritual is working. He eats the two most important parts of his lunch and the rest is just garnish!