Last Tuesday, I saw one particular family out on the beach that caught my attention. I was walking my usual route and I walked past three boys and a father playing Ladder Ball.
In case you don't know, this is ladder ball...
The boys all looked to be a few years apart in age, with the youngest being about five years old. The youngest was so upset that he was losing and was actually shouting while in tears. His brothers didn't seem to pay any attention to him; they were only concerned with continuing the game that they happened to be winning by a landslide. Initially, I thought that the youngest boy was acting a bit bratty and was being a "sore loser." I didn't think much else of it and continued on my walk.
I repeated my walk again on Wednesday and came across the same family once again. However, this time, the older boys were building sandcastles and the youngest boy was practicing his Ladder Ball skills with his dad. The father was very encouraging and seemed to be very patient with his young son. As I made my way back to the pier where I had started my walk, I heard the youngest boy thank his father for helping him. He said that maybe now he can play with his brothers and have a chance of winning the game.
Seeing a family play on the beach may sound like nothing special to most, but it was really beautiful to watch the attitude of the little boy change (from bratty to thankful and hopeful) and to see a father and child bond. In today's busy-busy-busy world, I'm not sure that some parents really take the time to disconnect from whatever it is that is preoccupying them and seriously and deeply connect with their children. Children need to spend quality time with their parents and this father and child were doing just that. It was beautiful.
Did you see something beautiful this week?
If so, I'd like to hear about it :)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to leave a comment; I'd love to hear from you!