Kindness

A small girl stands close to her mother. She looks nervous, unsure. Her mum coaxes her, “you’ll be ok, it will be fun. You will enjoy being with the other children”. The adults look on wondering will she make it, perhaps she will cling to her mother, will her mum have to be harsh and just leave her trembling, perhaps crying after her?

Then another small girl comes out of the building and sees her there. The second girl is her friend, she stoops ever so slightly because neither girl is very tall, she smiles and says “hi, come and sit with me”. The first girl takes the hand of the second and they walk back into the building and join the band of children waiting for the third day of camp to start.

A grandfather looks on, tightens his jaw, a lump stands in his throat and, running down his wrinkled face is, a small tear.