If only we all had the grace of an eight-year-old girl

She’d mentioned before that this “friend” was often hurtful. Now she told me they’d been doing something nice together.

“But, why are you even talking to her,” I asked, “given the things she’s said to you.”

“Well...you know...she doesn’t have a happy family life. So, she treats others like she has been treated. And makes people hate her in case they get too close and see how sad she is. I won’t let her take advantage of me, but I’m not going to give up on her.”

Sad? Remind you of anyone? Would you be as understanding, as kind?

Then she stepped gracefully off the school playground balance-beam, said goodbye, and headed to class. She and her friend are eight years old. Childhood isn’t usually plain sailing, and the children experiencing it can teach us so much, if we would just listen.