But I’m not like my friend Mitch. He loves kids. When Mitch sees a little kid, he’ll do whatever he can to make that kid smile, giggle, or laugh. When Mitch sees a kid with a lemonade stand, he always stops. Always. And not just if he’s walking by; Mitch will stop his car, park it, and walk over to a lemonade stand, even if he’s in a hurry. Mitch goes out of his way to make sure that kid has a good day. No, I’m not like that!
Then there’s Kathy. She loves kids, no matter the age. And I mean “LOVE” with all capitals, in bold italics and flashing red letters! She loves newborns, even though all they do is eat, sleep, cry and poop! And toddlers, and elementary kids. She loves middle school kids, even though it’s a scientific fact that they are the strangest humans on the planet. Yes, and high school kids as well. But it’s not just that she loves them. She completely lights up when she sees a little one. She is changed, transformed. If you didn’t know her, you’d think she’s putting on a show. But no. That’s the real Kathy. No matter what mood she’s in, when a kid comes by, her whole life gets better. Kathy’s life hasn’t always been easy, and she’s definitely had her occasions for grief, but Kathy finds joy in children, even during her hardest times.
So the other day, during a run, I came across a group of elementary age kids standing near the street, obviously waiting for the school bus. They were laughing and talking, and all wearing backpacks which were essentially as big as they were. As I ran by, the bus approached, and one kid squealed “The bus!” Then they all got excited, started waving at the bus driver, waving at their friends, and got in line to get on the bus. And that was my “Kathy moment.” Because while I was running, I had been thinking about how tired I was, how far I had to go, what I had to do when I got done… But for just a moment, seeing the natural youthful joy in those kids, I was uplifted. The sore heel didn't matter. The excessive miles I had yet to run didn't matter. The tired thigh muscles didn't matter. And I didn’t think about all the stuff waiting for me after the run. I was just uplifted, as simple as that. For a period of time, my life got better.
I know what Kathy sees in those kids. And Mitch too. Although they’ve never told me, I know what it is. It’s joy. Pure and simple. After all, we all search for joy in our own ways. At least I hope we do, because I think that’s kinda what life is about. For some of us, joy comes easily; for others, life makes it more difficult. But no matter what hand life has dealt us, we can always seek joy. It’s what drives us. And if life has given us a bum deal and we don’t have a naturally joyful existence, we seek the joy in what we already have. And for some people, like Kathy, it’s kids. And I get it. Really. Adults are complex, and our emotions are not always pure; even when we’re happy, many times the bad things are still lurking in the backs of our minds, bugging us just a bit. But when a child laughs, his whole body laughs. Everything is good in his world. And how can we not find joy in that?
Sometimes I wish I were more like Kathy and Mitch. But I’m not. And I know that the world needs all kinds of us, so I’m really OK with that. If I can have a few “Kathy moments” periodically, then I’ll be happy with that.
Thinking about this, I said it wrong earlier. I said “Kathy finds joy in children, even during her hardest times.” Knowing Kathy, it should have been “Kathy finds joy in children, especially during her hardest times.”
That’s just the way she is. And Mitch too. And that’s a really good way to be.
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