Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

I've always been a firm believer in talking openly and honestly with kids about hard things--especially when they have a friend that gets seriously ill.  Kids' fears and curiosity can come out kind of mean-sounding to someone going through sickness, but in reality if you address these things head-on and from the start they are SO AMAZINGLY KIND. 

I learn so much from these kids every day.  When So-and-So was finally able to stay through lunch recess, there was a swarm of little girls who wanted to play with her.  It didn't matter to them that she licked everything on the playground or broke out in strange songs (or often Spanish) or didn't talk about the things normal seven-year-olds talk about.  They just knew that in order to be her friend, they needed to hold her hand and speak softly to her and accept her for all that she *could* do instead of all the things she *can't*.  They took turns sliding with her down a small slide, hand-in-hand, and were so patient as they coaxed her to sit down every time (which is no small feat). 

A well of emotion comes up every day at recess as I let her go and she runs or walks off with those sweet little girls.  I wish we could all just open our hearts a bit to the people that are different from us, whatever those differences might entail.  It's okay to disagree or to be a little curious about important things to us and each other, but we would do well to be more accepting and embracing of the people behind those differences.  I wonder how many adults would hold hands and run around on the playground day after day with another adult that licked things and broke out into songs?

We have much to learn from our children.