Not long ago I wrote about old friends of older adoptive parents and how accepting mine have been of my children since they appeared on the scene.

It wasn't until I thought back to how isolated I was as a twenty-something mom with kids that I fully appreciated how welcoming my friends have been of Sam and Cj, and how enthusiastically so many of them have involved themselves in the lives of rugrats, a species they would never have chosen to spend time with otherwise.

Today's Love Thursday photo is a shining example of an affectionate tie that came as a bit of a surprise to almost everyone involved ... Sam being the one who takes total acceptance and unbridaled love as a matter of course.

My dear friend Mo spent far too much time ministering to the needs of children through her work as a doctor to find enjoyment in one-to-one with little ones. She'd opted not to have or raise any, and was happy as a clam to retire from medicine and distance herself from snotty noses, swollen tonsils, head lice, chicken pox and so on.

Funnily enough, however, she took a shine to Sam from Day One, finding she enjoyed his company, and has built on that over the past four years.

Mo's vast knowledge of flora and fauna ... and especially the flora and fauna of Seychelles, as she knows more about endemic species than just about anyone ... puts her well in demand for nature walks. Locals and visitors alike are mesmerized by the details she can provide, and the stories she has to tell that relate to the natural history of the islands, making learning an adventure.

Wonderfully, Sam is the lucky, and oh-so-very-willing, receptacle for some of this.

It's hard to tell who enjoys these excursions more, Sam or Mo, but there's no questioning that they are wonderful for both.

Sometimes love is even better when it's unexpected.