Tuesday, November 29, 2016

We could all use another FRIEND


"And a little child shall lead them... "
 Liam's first Christmas. He was six months old here, and his big blue eyes took in everything!
 At 18 months old all he cared about was lights and balls. He was thrilled with the tree lights reflecting on the living room walls. Look at those short little legs. They have taken him places.
And here he is at 2 1/2, slouching down, or he'd be a couple inches taller than the snow family. His legs dangle off the chair now.

Liam thinks every single kid he sees is his friend. Each Monday I ask him if he wants to go to the mall playground or Monkey Joe's, the bouncy house jumping place. He asks, "My friends be there?"
I tell him, I don't know about the bounce house place, but there will probably be kids at the mall.

He shouts excitedly, "I go mall to see my FRIENDS."

He gets more delightful by the day. His vocabulary is advanced, and I think he is going to go for the older women. His mama said they were at a store, and he was sitting in the cart jabbering away.

When she stepped in front of the cart to unload it, Liam noticed this darling little four year-old girl staring at him. His legs were dangling in front of her face.  Delightfully surprised, he smiled and said, "HI, girl."  When she didn't respond, he introduced himself.

"My name Liam (and his last name), and then he told her, "I'm two." With a big smile and great expectation, he waited for a reply. NOTHING. He couldn't understand why she did not respond to him, as most adults do when he talks.

So he began naming all the colors of the balloons nearby, he told her shapes of things, and he God Blessed every family member he could think of. I'm telling you this little boy is going to be a heart breaker.

Finally the little girl smiled at him. It made his day, and he was thrilled to no end. He talked about his new friend all the way home.

Instead of seeing our differences, maybe we should look for ways in which we are alike. Instead of perceiving an enemy, why not regard the person behind, in front of, or waiting on us as a potential friend? 

With the holiday season upon us and so much upheaval and evil in the world, I imagine if everybody smiled and said hello to a stranger, peace might begin to spread... like oozing butter on those yummy Hawaiian rolls I've been stuffing into my mouth for days. 

I promise not to inundate you with any more Liam photos for at least another week. I only babysit him on Mondays.

May I ask a favor, please? Say a healing prayer for blog friend and writer Claudia Mundel who is undergoing major cancer surgery today. 

12 comments:

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Prayers for Claudia ongoing.

Liam photos and posts are always a joy. His light shines through the photos and is evident in your words.

Cathy C. Hall said...

I love Liam's outlook, and yours, too, Linda. For sure, you can never have enough friends! :-)

(Will pray for your friend, Claudia, too!)

DUTA said...

Yes, Liam's going to be a heartbreaker for sure. His looks and manners now foresee it.
May God help your friend Claudia successfully undergo the surgey and have a quick recovery!

Karen Lange said...

Liam is such a sweet and handsome little man! You are blessed indeed. I agree, a smile and a kind word can go a long way.

Val said...

I could look at Liam any time. No need to ration him. Positive thoughts going Claudia's way.

Southhamsdarling said...

Prayers being offered up for Claudia. I have enjoyed watching Liam growing away, and he does have the most gorgeous blue eyes. I can relate to the story of the little girl. All my grandchildren are such friendly souls, and they get really upset if they go to the park and other children don't talk to them. They just can't understand it. They usually wear them down in the end, however!! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š

Sioux Roslawski said...

Linda--I've been thinking about her all day. Went to our school mass and said a prayer.

Liam is growing up so fast. What a cutie.

Susan said...

Always love Liam photos, Linda. He is a handsome, darling little fellow. My prayer are with our dear Claudia daily. What a hard thing to be going through any time but, especially around the holidays. Hope your week is good. Susan

Jennifer Brown Banks said...

Amen, my friend! :-)
Jennifer brown banks

Donna Volkenannt said...

Liam is a real charmer. I've been saying prayers for Claudia and sending warm thoughts her way.

Connie said...

Liam has grown so much, and he is such a cutie! Prayers for your friend here.

Pat Wahler said...

How quickly they grow. Liam is adorable!

Pat
www.patwahler.com