Kindness

Kim had funny hair when we were in second grade. She made bad grades and sometimes got paddled for being late to school too many times. She wasn't good at jumprope she was the last picked for any team. She wasn't someone got paid attention to, by those of us that got paid attention to. Kim was white. Latoya was dark skinned, flamboyant and poor. During recess, some of us were hanging by our knees from the chinning bar. Latoya decided to join in. She never had before, but she had some athletic ability felt an urge to show off. Yep, she hung there exposing her poverty through the holes in her underwear because she trusted our urging her to participate to be sincere recognitions of her talents. They weren't. We made fun of her in cruel ways we were seven or eight years old. Kim, dear Kim, gently approached Latoya and said, “Come with me, they are being mean to you.” I learned kindness from Kim.