Let's All Be Nicer

One of the kindest little boys I know

I am sitting at Starbucks, and there are four boys, aging in range from about 8 to 12 sitting at the table beside me. I'm guessing they're all brothers. Their mom is there too. The youngest was drinking water, and the mom made him give the cup of water to his older brother to share. Everyone else in the party except these two have drinks that cost money. This is a free cup of water.

The youngest boy quietly tells his mom that he needs his own water. He can't share his water.

The mom responds, "Just share the water. You can share the water."

He whispers, "I can't share the water. It has fingernails in it now. He eats his fingernails. He swallows them. Now they're in the water. Can I have my own water?"

You can hear the anguish in his voice. The real pain at the thought of drinking after his brother.

His mom says, "You can share. Stop exaggerating."

"I can't," says the boy, tears starting in his eyes.

Never has he whined. Never has he gotten loud enough for anyone else to hear. The only reason I can hear him is because he is right beside me.

The mom looks at him and says, "You're not very nice. You're really kind of mean. You're going to have to wait until we get home now."

Today, as you interact with the people in your life, please take a moment to ask yourself if you're misreading the situation. Perhaps they really can't drink that water.

And let's do the world a favor today, people. Do something nice for someone. If everyone was kind to one person that they don't like every day, the world would be a better place.