Looking at the faces of young children has always made me happy and sad. I see such innocence, such trust. They gaze out at the world through eyes expecting kindness and affirmation, well most very young children do.
Mothers and fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers are immensely proud of everything they do. A head covered in barrettes, a shirt on backwards, untied shoes on the wrong feet, it is all a wondrous accomplishment. People smile and clap and those young human beings just beam! It’s the way it should be and it makes my day.
What makes me sad is that I know in just a few years there will be people telling them what is wrong instead of what is right. There will be those who find joy in making fun of those they perceive as less than perfect, and for a lot of people that means anyone not just like them. There will even be those who respond out of envy and jealousy. By the time they have been out in the world even a very short time, most children grow fearful of being who they are.
I wish that never happened. I wish there was room in this world for everyone. Imagine the diversity we might have, the discoveries that might be made, the freedom to love who we are!
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