GRATITUDE POST, November 14, 2013, "CHILDREN"

I met an adorable wisp of a child last night. This exuberant four-year-old weighed about a breath, and half of that was her mop of strawberry-colored hair and her smile. Many of her teeth were already missing or filled, and as she told me about the dentist who "fixed her mouth," she jiggled like gelatin with energy that, if harnessed, could have powered all her toys and the TV she loves so much.

 

She mimicked her favorite movie characters--frightening monsters I was surprised such a little sprite even knew, like Godzilla, who she said is really nice and her friend; the bad gremlins, of whom she gave a five-minute impression, complete with crossed-eye snarls and extended claws; and Chucky, who she agreed was very bad.

She brought me a shoe-box filled with grass and flowers. Inside was her pet--a wooly bear caterpillar--who she protected with angelic care.

She sang a song, performed a gymnastics routine which showed incredible talent, and at the end of our visit, she said a little prayer, leapt into my arms, and kissed my cheek. I was in love.

Her circumstances are not ideal, and her mind has been exposed to ideas far beyond her years. When she began to tell me how she wanted to get big, I asked her not to grow today. Maybe tomorrow, or another day, but not today, because she was already perfect.

I'm so grateful for children. They hold the collective conscience of the world in their eyes, and like human barometers, we can generally tell how we're doing by studying our children.

I love their diversity. I see it in my own grandchildren--the sandbox builders, the truck enthusiasts, the technology wizards, the musician, the dancer/gymnast, and the two for whom love is encapsulated in anything round and bouncy.

What would life be without children? For them, I am so very grateful.

Here is a fascinating photo-essay of children around the world and their favorite possessions. Enjoy!