A happy little girl . . .
| January 28th, 2008Melissa Faye Green relates this story as she began her journey of orphan rescue in Ethiopia. Thought I’d share it.
A happy little girl caught my eye: she flounced about barefoot in gray sweatpants under a frilly, puffy pink dress and, on top of the dress, a too small boy’s winter coat. I watched her seat herself upon a flat stone with pride of ownership and was reaching around as best she could in her winter parka to smooth the stiff tulle. I saw her cast her soft eyes around to see if anyone was noticing how pretty she was today.
I noticed. I stepped over and stroked her warm little head, her hard dry little braids, and murmured an incomprehensible compliment in English. I startled her, but then she understood: her lips turned down in a pleased, flustered smile.
I didn’t know who took care of this little girl in pink — maybe a grandparent, maybe a not-much-older sister or brother — but I saw that she remembered being mothered. A longtime orphan would not expect anyone to compliment her pretty dress.
Mellisa Faye Green, There is No Me Without You, p. 32.
My imagination took over with this one. Sweetest act of kindness ever for an adult to take the time in that moment to appreciate her in all her carefree happy especially when most of the time that type of child is overlooked. Breaks my heart!
I would love to step inside a child’s mind for a moment to see exactly what they are thinking in that time of twirling in a dress they imagine to be as beautiful as cinderellas ballgown. I love it.
I love this story…
Leann » Me too. Simple, but cuts right to the heart of our humanness.