Lesson From a Little Girl

I love to walk around the lake by our home-listening to my music-breathing in the beauty of the trees, the lakes, and the flowers. It takes me a little over an hour to walk the 3.5-mile path.

One hot summer day, I began the last hill with sweat streaming down my face and my hair a matted frizz ball. Turning a slight corner, I noticed a family of three headed up the hill in front of me. The mom walking slightly ahead of the dad and daughter, wore a long-sleeved dress complete with a scarf around her head. The dad-dressed in shorts-was holding the hand of what I guessed to be his 2–3-year-old daughter. She wore a white eyelet sundress. “Well at least the little girl still gets to dress appropriately for the weather,” I shared inside my head as I approached the family.

As I continued to close in on the family, the little girl turned and locked eyes with me. Without breaking eye contact or saying a word, she held out her arm beckoning me to hold her hand. “Ah, you just want a little help getting up the hill,” I said, grabbing hold of her hand and continuing our locked eye contact. Her dad looked at me, smiled, and continued walking-no words uttered.

When we got to the top of the hill I released the little girl’s hand. “You’ve got this!” I shared as I walked on. The dad and mom looked at me, smiled, and as earlier did not utter a single word. As I dropped my gaze a voice inside my head whispered, “You had judged that family by their shells and dress. The little girl saw your soul as did her parents who did not object to a stranger grabbing hold of their daughter’s hand. Stop judging people’s shells and feel their souls.”

Rounding the sidewalk to head home I noticed two ladies totally dressed in black with only their eyes exposed for me to see. I smiled in recognition of the trial I had been presented.

Now every time I attempt to judge another by their shell I hold hands with that little girl dressed in a white eyelet dress.

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Why are we so prone to judge others by their appearances? I know I have fallen victim to that. In this day where division is preached, maybe we can learn from our youth who are not yet indoctrinated to judge by appearances. Can they teach us to recognize people by their souls not their shells?