Sitting in church today, my nephew (age 3 ½) started looking at the row behind us with a confused, or perhaps puzzled look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“There’s kids there,” he said.
I looked at the teenagers sitting in the row behind us. “Kids? Okay, yes, there are some kids there,” I said, thinking it precious that he considers all non-adults to be kids.
“But where are their toys?” he asked. He had a whole grab bag of coloring books and crayons that the church offers for the little ones at the front door.
“Well, they don’t have any,” I said.
He looked at his crayons and coloring books, and carefully chose some. This took a moment. Then he casually tossed them over the back of the pew to the teenagers, during the sermon, no less. They looked at me.
“You didn’t have any toys,” I explained as quietly as I could. “He’s sharing his.”
Of course I think he’s the greatest kid on the planet. I’m not biased at all. But I sat there today wondering if all kids have what he has, if it’s natural, and if, with care, it might never wear off.
Here’s to hope.
~ Jody Brown is the author of Upside Down Kingdom, and is a multi-blogger, poet, and traveler. To learn more about her current writing projects, or for ways to donate toward their completion, see JodyBrown.com/writing.
I think he’s got a special gift of compassion and empathy. Give him a hug for me next time you see him.
Chris
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I certainly will, Chris!
He’s an amazing kid. 🙂
Jody
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