One of the best things about being a kid was that everyone was your friend. Gender, race, and background didn’t matter – if you were even close to the same age, you were friends. As kids we were so trusting, so innocent, and we saw the world through uncalloused eyes. We didn’t judge people the same way we do now, and brash judgments weren’t allowed to get in the way of seeing each person for what they really were – just as innocent and loving as us.
These friendships started in the easiest ways; sharing a toy, playing on the monkey bars together, or sitting next to one another on the school bus. You may have only met the person once and then never saw them again, but that didn’t change the fact that you were friends.
In fact, at that age you had so many friends it was hard to keep track of them all. The hardest part of life was trying to whittle your birthday party invite list down to twelve people or less. You couldn’t even remember the names of some of your friends because you had so many (which ended up helping in the whittling process). Names were minor details in the overall scheme of things because true friends didn’t need to know each others’ names. You didn’t have to know a person’s name to have fun. Being friends was enough.
And if you and one of your friends ever happened to have a similar interest, then you moved up to the next level and were Best Friends.
“Wow, I love the Power Rangers too, we’ll be best friends!”
“Yeah, best friends!”
If only we made friends as adults as easily as we did as kids. I imagine the world would be a whole lot better place.
1 comment:
Jared, this is Lisa Kandell now Lovell(old next door roommate of emily's freshman year at BYU...remember?) anyhow, I can't tell you how often I have thought about what you have just posted. My son (just turned three) calls everyone his friend. Kids everywhere are just drawn to eachother. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we were more childlike!
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