mad_andy

Slay popped out last night to visit some friends of ours, and they told him a story that he's just told me. And it made me stop and think, and thus I'm going to share it here.

Rachel and her partner both work at a local hospital, and part of G__'s job is to work with the chaplain. Now, this chaplain and her partner adopted a child a couple of years ago. This kid is now about eight.

At one of the hospital's christmas parties, G__ asked the lad what he wanted for christmas.

He thought about the question for a bit.

"A football," he said.

"Is that all?" asked G__.

He thought some more.

"A bat and ball," he added thoughtfully.

G__ laughed and told him that her list was considerably longer. The lad looked at her.

"Why?" he said.

...

She said she felt very small and very greedy in the face of one little boy's humble expectations.

Out of the mouths of babes....

I don't like children, most of you know that. But they should be cherished and wanted and cared for. They should not - as this boy had been - starved so that they wolf down meals because they're afraid the food will be taken away, or beaten so that they flinch when there is a loud noise or sudden movement.

He's loved and safe now. But he knows what's valuable in this life.

Sometimes I think the rest of us forget that.