Family
Frederick J. Goodall - April 10, 2011
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“I believe that children are our future/Teach them well and let them lead the way.” – from The Greatest Love of All written by Michael Masser & Linda Creed
Watching little children play always restores my faith in humanity. Their innocence and acceptance inspire me to examine my own behavior and modify it accordingly. My 3-year-old son, X, recently taught me the importance of building color blind friendships.
My wife, KayEm, and I were shopping for kitchen tiles (Things Married Men Do #127) when our son spied a blonde girl entering the store.
“Hi,” he said as he approached the girl. “I’m X.”
The girl was a little hesitant at first, but she eventually introduced herself. “I’m Peyton,” she said.
X held up three fingers and said, “I’m three.”
“I’m three, too,” replied the little girl. And with that brief conversation, the two of them became instant friends.
They ran through the store with such glee playing hide-and-go-seek, monsters, and other made-up games. A few minutes earlier, they were total strangers and within minutes, they were playing as if they’d known each other forever. They didn’t allow race or gender to cloud their opinion of each other. All that mattered was having fun.
“Peyton,” said a voice from the other side of the store. “It’s time to go.” The little girl looked up to see her mother at the cash register. She ran across the floor and grabbed her mother’s extended hand. The two of them walked outside and loaded their SUV.
X ran to the glass door, pressed his faced against it, and watched as Peyton and her mom drove away. After a few minutes, he walked towards me with a dejected expression on his face. I picked him up and he buried his head on my shoulder.
“What’s wrong, son?” I asked.
He whispered silently in my ear between sobs, “I miss my best friend.”
Stay Strong,
16 Comments
Ooh… I would be a bit sad if I lost my best friend every time I met someone… Maybe that’s why adults find it so hard to connect to other adults.
It is that fear that prevents adults from forming relationships. How do we move past that fear and start to connect?
Charlie is still like that 6 years old. Every child he meets somewhere is his friend. He misses them when they leave. He’s even been known to ask if that child can come over and play after school one day, even though it is a child we met at a festival downtown with no clue who they are or where they live.
Maybe Charlie and X can be friends.
Great…I’m now sobbing uncontrollably. *sigh*
My heart sank when I saw how sad he was at losing his friend.
Great…I’m now sobbing uncontrollably. *sigh*
Great…I’m now sobbing uncontrollably. *sigh*
My three year old just made his first best friend. Friendship at that age is so innocent and simple. Don’t you just want to bottle up these moments. Beautiful post!
My three year old just made his first best friend. Friendship at that age is so innocent and simple. Don’t you just want to bottle up these moments. Beautiful post!
Yes, I would like to bottle these moments and preserve them forever.
My three year old just made his first best friend. Friendship at that age is so innocent and simple. Don’t you just want to bottle up these moments. Beautiful post!
The world would be a better place if we could recapture that innocence.
My son also speaks to everyone he sees. He will have long conversations with strangers.
Yes, it was precious.
This is part of what Jesus meant when He told us to become like children