Things That Changed Her Life…{part 8}

There are some moments that change your game, your view, your life.  They start out normally, but well, they never quite end that way, do they?  This is one of mine. You can read about the rest here.

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Elizabeth and I were at Home Depot, buying soil testing kits, when I noticed a small boy walking around with a man. He whispered something to his dad and then walked up to an elderly lady who was shopping by herself. He approached her slowly, and whispered something to her.

She bent down, and hugged him. They hugged for longer than seemed comfortable, eyes closed, neither of them noticing the people watching them. After he pulled away, she exclaimed, “Oh, how did you know I needed a hug? Hugs are the best!”

They chatted for awhile and she asked him all the usual kid questions: how old he is, grade at school, etc. And before she continued her shopping, he hugged her again, the same long, lingering hug. When she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes.

“That made my day!” she exclaimed.

The dad shook his head and said to no one in particular, “He said he thought she needed a hug and went to ask her.”

This is what I love about kids: they haven’t learned yet that people hurt you deeply and that asking for anything from other people can be scary and that most adults spend a long time hiding behind their fears and rejections. But this little boy reminded me that sometimes, it’s okay to ask, and usually, the other person needs it more than we do.