Red and Yellow, Black and White!
I had to go to the dentist...again. Thankfully, it was just for a cleaning and a check up. I am a wreck just thinking about going to the dentist. I arrived right on time, my thought being, very little wait time to work myself into hysteria.
As I walked into their office and gave my name, I was told to take a seat. I walked over to their waiting area and sat on the edge of a chair. I didn't want to get too comfortable. The whole fight or flight defense mechanism had kicked in. I may need to leave in a hurry!
As I was nervously waiting, and searching for all of the available exits, I noticed a set of twins playing in the play area. I approximated their age around 18 months. My grandson is 17 months so I could connect with them. I felt myself begin to calm a little. I watched these 2 little children play and communicate with very few words.
The door opened and in walked a mom with 2 young children. The little ones, seeing toys, immediately dropped their mom's hand and crouched down with the twins and began playing beside them. The waiting room, was filled with childish enthusiasm, and it was wonderful. I could feel my blood pressure drop even more. We three women, smiled and laughed watching these 4 children playing with one another.
Once again, the door opened, allowing a dad and his young son through. They sat down, and the little boy appeared scared. I felt a kinship with him. His dad, looking at the other children playing on the floor, suggested his son go join the group of children. The little boy shook his head and tried to hide in his father's chest. Remembering my painful shy years, I felt for him.
One of the little girls stood up, and handed the shy little boy sitting on his dad's lap, a toy. The little boy accepted it from the little girl. She thrust out her little hand and grabbed his unoccupied hand, and without saying a word, motioned for him to join her and her sister. One kind gesture, a toy, and the shy little boy slid off of his father's lap and joined the other children playing on the floor.
The door from inside the office opened and I felt some serious trepidation. Out walked a mom with another toddler. She sat down and her little boy quickly picked up a block and sat down with the growing group of kids. There were 6 children, all under the age of 5, playing on the floor beside one another. They weren't all playing together, but they were content sharing the same floor and toys. The inside door opened yet again and out walked an older boy around the age of 6. He was crying. He walked quickly over to his mom to be comforted and I could see he had just had a tooth pulled. Cringing, I could empathize with him too.
One of the toddlers was watching the crying little boy. He stood up, walked over to the older boy and proceeded to hug him! All of the kids, we're of of their feet, and comforting this hurting little boy! My heart literally skipped a beat watching this scene. The inside door opened again and my name was called. I stood up and noticed the crying boy was wiping his face and sitting on the floor, surrounded by the kids, who were all once again playing happily.
I followed the hygenist into the room and nervously sat down. She quickly put me at ease. As she began cleaning my teeth, I thought about the children in the waiting room. Four were white, 2 black and the other little boy was Chinese. These children, of three different ethnic groups, played with each other and beside each other with no fighting over each other's colour or beliefs. We could sure learn from these kids.
With all of the unrest and turmoil in the world, people chanting "Black Lives Matter", "White Pride", and whatever else, none of those kids felt any anger toward the other ones. Hate is learned, we are not born hating.
It's unfortunate that we can't learn from children. They teach love, not hate. It reminds me of a song we sang when we were young. Jesus loves the little children, and the one line in it, red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight. It's a great Montra that we should all live by.
As I walked into their office and gave my name, I was told to take a seat. I walked over to their waiting area and sat on the edge of a chair. I didn't want to get too comfortable. The whole fight or flight defense mechanism had kicked in. I may need to leave in a hurry!
As I was nervously waiting, and searching for all of the available exits, I noticed a set of twins playing in the play area. I approximated their age around 18 months. My grandson is 17 months so I could connect with them. I felt myself begin to calm a little. I watched these 2 little children play and communicate with very few words.
The door opened and in walked a mom with 2 young children. The little ones, seeing toys, immediately dropped their mom's hand and crouched down with the twins and began playing beside them. The waiting room, was filled with childish enthusiasm, and it was wonderful. I could feel my blood pressure drop even more. We three women, smiled and laughed watching these 4 children playing with one another.
Once again, the door opened, allowing a dad and his young son through. They sat down, and the little boy appeared scared. I felt a kinship with him. His dad, looking at the other children playing on the floor, suggested his son go join the group of children. The little boy shook his head and tried to hide in his father's chest. Remembering my painful shy years, I felt for him.
One of the little girls stood up, and handed the shy little boy sitting on his dad's lap, a toy. The little boy accepted it from the little girl. She thrust out her little hand and grabbed his unoccupied hand, and without saying a word, motioned for him to join her and her sister. One kind gesture, a toy, and the shy little boy slid off of his father's lap and joined the other children playing on the floor.
The door from inside the office opened and I felt some serious trepidation. Out walked a mom with another toddler. She sat down and her little boy quickly picked up a block and sat down with the growing group of kids. There were 6 children, all under the age of 5, playing on the floor beside one another. They weren't all playing together, but they were content sharing the same floor and toys. The inside door opened yet again and out walked an older boy around the age of 6. He was crying. He walked quickly over to his mom to be comforted and I could see he had just had a tooth pulled. Cringing, I could empathize with him too.
One of the toddlers was watching the crying little boy. He stood up, walked over to the older boy and proceeded to hug him! All of the kids, we're of of their feet, and comforting this hurting little boy! My heart literally skipped a beat watching this scene. The inside door opened again and my name was called. I stood up and noticed the crying boy was wiping his face and sitting on the floor, surrounded by the kids, who were all once again playing happily.
I followed the hygenist into the room and nervously sat down. She quickly put me at ease. As she began cleaning my teeth, I thought about the children in the waiting room. Four were white, 2 black and the other little boy was Chinese. These children, of three different ethnic groups, played with each other and beside each other with no fighting over each other's colour or beliefs. We could sure learn from these kids.
With all of the unrest and turmoil in the world, people chanting "Black Lives Matter", "White Pride", and whatever else, none of those kids felt any anger toward the other ones. Hate is learned, we are not born hating.
It's unfortunate that we can't learn from children. They teach love, not hate. It reminds me of a song we sang when we were young. Jesus loves the little children, and the one line in it, red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight. It's a great Montra that we should all live by.
Comments
Post a Comment