A Model Child
I volunteered at the Emerald Isle Recreation Center for the Day 4 Kids event today. I sat behind a table for the friends of the Western Carteret Public Library. Our goal was to reach out to parents and make them aware of the library programs and how the Friends support the library. We provided a word search for young and older children to complete. If they found 2 words, they would receive a bookmark and a coupon for a free book at our Second Chances used bookstore at the library.
One child who approached the table was a beautiful little girl with long blonde hair and wearing a white cheerleader uniform. Rather than circling the words, she drew circles, squares, and squiggly lines on the margin.
I asked, “How old are you?”
“I’m two.”
Her brother stood beside her and actively worked on the word search without glancing at her. When I looked up, her mother wasn’t standing with her. I scanned the gymnasium, and she was nowhere to be found.
The little girl realized her mother was also gone and asked, “Where’s mommy?”
I replied, “I don’t know.”
The little girl panicked. She looked all around her, calling “Mommy.” When she didn’t find her mother, she left the table and headed to the table manned by the local Police Department. She approached a policeman and said, “Where’s mommy?”
She grabbed his hand, and they walked together around the gymnasium until she spotted her father. Once assured that she wasn’t alone, she returned to our table and picked up the pencil to work on her word search.
Several minutes passed, and my imagination went into overdrive with the possibilities. Before I could talk to the policeman, Mommy appeared. She had gone to the restroom but failed to mention it.
I’m thankful she came back!
I explained how her daughter had acted by going to get the policeman, and she wasn’t surprised. At two years old, this little girl knew who to trust.
If only I could reverse that gray hair I got from worrying