Color Blind

Last night, I read a blog of a friend of mine telling us about how we can learn a lot from kids. She explained how her niece was so excited about the great day she had when, to the rest of us, it was an ordinary day. She didn't go to Disneyland, or to a county fair, or even to Chuck E Cheese. She just went to school, visited with her aunt and played with her friend. Wouldn't it be great if we could all see our ordinary days as extraordinary?

After reading that, and without thinking much about the lessons I learn from my kids, I was talking with Mallory (age 2 3/4, as Britt would say) about the friends she might want to invite to our Halloween party. She told me about the friends she talks about often (Tofie, aka Sophie, Mary Gacet, aka Mary Grace, and Robby). But, today, she threw out a new one. She said, "and Wally." I was trying to remember the kids in her class and I said, "Is Wally black?" Her response, simple as can be, "No mom, he was yellow. And Mary Gacet was pink and Robby was geen (green), and Tofie was pink, too."

Still trying to figure out who Wally was, I said, "No, Mallory. What color is his skin?" And she said, "I no no (translated: "I don't know") he just wears yellow."

Why can't we all see the world like my 2-year-old? She has never even noticed the color of his skin. To her, he is just a boy who was wearing a yellow shirt yesterday. And, Sophie and Mary Grace were both wearing pink. And that was all that mattered.

What an amazing day for me. I learned more from a 4-(or-5) year-old (I think, Arleigh?)and a 2-year-old than all my years of education could ever do for me. Out of the mouths of babes.