Love Is Walking Hand in Hand (Peanuts)
“Love Is Walking Hand in Hand by Charles M. Schulz is a beautiful gift to share with someone you care about deeply or perhaps even someone who is a little bit grumpy or sad and could use a smile to light up their day.”
The recent re-release Charles M. Schulz’ classic, Love Is Walking Hand in Hand will bring a smile to anyone’s face, young or old.
Originally published in 1965, this book is still as fresh and delightful as it was then. The illustrations depicting the Peanuts gang remain enchanting, printed on paper in various shades of pink and orange, giving the impression of a valentine.
Designed to be given as a gift, there is a “To” and “From” section across from the title page, to write in your and your loved one’s names.
In this small book, the Peanuts characters remind us of the many ways we can express love. Schulz’ gift as a cartoonist is expressing, through the trials and tribulations of children and their dog, all of life’s beauty. In this book, he tackles love.
What is love? It is expressed in a multitude of ways.
“Love is sharing your popcorn.” Love is sitting close to someone you care about at the movies and letting them have the best buttery bits. It’s grabbing hands in the scary parts and crying together at the movie’s happy or sad ending.
“Love is having a special song.” Love is playing that song over and over until the battery dies on your cellphone. Love is your friends rolling their eyes when they hear you singing along to the same song again and again. Love is sharing something special with someone else, loving lyrics and music that express a particular feeling.
“Love is visiting a sick friend.” Not all love is romantic. We love many people in a variety of ways. Being available to someone who is sick is a blessing for us, because we can have gratitude for our health, as well as be a comfort to the person who is ailing. We can use our visit to give others a break from caregiving too.
Along with reminders of how we can express our love to individuals, Love Is Walking Hand in Hand considers larger issues of love and its expression.
“Love is being happy just knowing that she’s happy . . . but that isn’t so easy.” Love isn’t always easy, but it is generous. Sometimes what we hope for isn’t meant to be. Life’s complicated. So is love, but we can still appreciate when others are living their best lives, whether we are involved in those lives or not.
“Love is liking ideas.” We can be thrown into topsy-turvy elation over new concepts. These ideas can radically change the way we see and act in the world. Ideas are intoxicating, as much as love can be. Ideas are powerful and worthy of our appreciation.
“Love is liking people.” In the image associated with this phrase, Snoopy is kissing Sally’s hand, and Sally doesn’t seem to know what to make of the gesture. It can be difficult to like people. The individuals around us may be rude, stressed out, or rub us the wrong way. Expressing love toward people who might at the moment be acting in a way that is less than loveable is a higher trait and something toward which to aspire.
The book ends with the phrase, “Love is the whole world.” Love is everywhere. It is in us and around us, waiting for an opportunity for expression. Love is what brings smiles to our faces and dries our tears. Love is what supports us in our darkest times.
The most recent edition of Love Is Walking Hand in Hand by Charles M. Schulz is a beautiful gift to share with someone you care about deeply or perhaps even someone who is a little bit grumpy or sad and could use a smile to light up their day.