It’s amazing what you can retain as a child, even decades later.
I was 9. He was 11. We only spent a year together. Then I moved away, far away. Looking back, I am still in awe of not only the level of kindness he showed throughout our time together but how much wisdom could come out of someone so young.
I remember one day running home from the playground because one of the boy’s made fun of my mom because he saw her as different. Maybe she was different but not in a bad way. Of course, I didn’t see her as different, so the insult really caught me off guard and sent me running down the street crying, straight to my room.
A knock came at the door. My friend, of only a few months by then came and sat next to me. He grabbed my hand and told me not to listen anything that boy said. He told me of a mean name the other boy calls him all the time and he just ignores it because it really doesn’t matter.
I must tell you, that moment changed my life. I learned about the true meaning of kindness, and I learned that no one could take being kind away from me.
My sister read one of my previous articles today and she said, “When you write, I imagine you giving a hug to the world”. I don’t think she realizes what a huge compliment that was to me but ever since that moment with my friend, I just wanted to make people feel better the way he did.
I do it on a pretty small scale, relative to the “world” and it dawned on me that this blog is a way to reach out to a larger population that I might help, comfort or inspire someone that just needs a hug.
To my friend who I haven’t seen in many, many years:
I am forever grateful for your friendship, kindness, wisdom, and the most valuable life lesson I’ve ever learned.
