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Lessons from a 2-Year-Old

My husband surprised me by taking the whole day off work, so we took the kids to our FABULOUS new library before bed. When we got there, Toddler Boy went straight for the train table where he took things apart and immediately asked us to put them back together about a million times. And though, truth be told, it annoys me to reassemble the same poorly designed object over and over again, he was having so much fun. Then before long, another little boy joined the table. I'm guessing he was about 3, and he didn't speak English. And I just sat there and watched them interact in the most innocent way, neither of them noticing any sort of barrier. Toddler Boy would ask (ever so politely), "May I play with that, please?" and point at whatever it was he was talking about. (If you guys even knew how proud I was of my boy... there are no words to describe it.) The other boy would sweetly place whatever train/figure/piece it was into my son's hand. He would look my son in the eyes and show him how to put the train through tunnels and how to open the doors. My son would practice his new skill and smile. The other boy never said a word beyond sounds.

I didn't know who this boy belonged to or I would have gone to talk to his parents to tell them what a good kid they have. And surely they already know.

Over the summer, we took Toddler Boy to a specific park quite frequently. But the kids there were not as kind. They were crude and rough, and I left there sad knowing that my son was going to be going to school with them. Learning from them. And praying that he wouldn't become like them.

This boy changed my outlook. I can't choose my son's friends. But I hope that he can choose the kind ones, and that he will be kind in return (no matter the differences).

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