Hey, Milkman!™ - a home-delivery milk service in baltimore, maryland

Let me introduce to a truly old soul. A gal whose character is unvarnished and pure. The ravages of time and experience have not jaded her to the point of callous indifference.  The kindness and joy in which she lives her life are examples to those who would hold the highest office in the land would benefit from by emulating her.  She’s not running for public office.  Given the fact that her campaign funds are limited to those that exist in her piggy bank and she’s eight years old it kind of limits her options. 

If I may indulge you for a moment, let me explain.  One bright fall day she comes home with a worried look on her face.  The look that says, “I may or may not have accidentally set the school library on fire and you may be getting a call from the school principal,” look.  So we ask her what’s wrong.  She says that she’s afraid that we’ll be mad when she tells us. She threw away her lunch today and purchased the school lunch (chicken patty on bun, tater tots, broccoli florets and chilled milk- or something like that! lol)  We asked if she didn’t like her choice of an uncrustable sandwich -(which in the humble opinion of this milk-man is a close second to my all time Hall of Fame Sandwiches- 1) The original Chic-Fil-A sandwich; 1a) Turkey Terrific (thanksgiving between velvety Portuguese bread- found only on Nantucket and 1b) the grape and peanut butter uncrustable.)  She said that was fine but she wanted to have lunch with Timmy. Now, Timmy is a classmate of hers that had severe food allergies and was forbidden to eat with the other kids.  This brown-eyed cutie said that she was tired of seeing him eat alone every day and when she saw that she had a peanut butter sandwich, which was one of his allergies, she chucked her lunch and bought something that Timmy was not allergic to.  She then went out and had lunch with Timmy. After that her teachers instituted a policy that kids could volunteer to eat with Timmy on a daily basis, much to Timmy’s delight.  That is the coolest thing that I’ve ever heard of-EVER! 

Do you know the difference between sympathy and empathy?  Sympathy is something that you can say, “Man, that sucks to be you.”  Empathy is something that you say, especially when it happens to someone close to you, “Man, that would suck to be me and I can relate.”  At the time of the lunch incident , she was 6 years old.  I know 42 year old men that have no concept of empathy nor sympathy.  I remember one particular lad looking at me in shocked amazement when learning of my family’s volunteer work during the holidays.  He actually said to me that he could not see himself doing things for people that he didn’t know.  I guess he’s never been cold or hungry.  I have. My family has. And we pulled thru with the help of both friends and strangers.  Based of this lesson, could we all not learn a lesson from an 8 year old with an infectious laugh and a darling heart?  Imagine the things possible if we all could empathize with each other, if only for a brief moment?

I know the above passages represent a sappy, weepy dad heaping praise upon his offspring. I mean if I can’t get sappy with her who can I get sappy with? It would sound weird if I was writing about your kid. Right?   Her name in the language of her people means, “Peace and Joy.”  May I introduce you to my inspiration, my validation for being, my lovely, curly haired beauty: Sydney. I hope you have your own “Sydney’s” to learn from. I know my world is better because of my peace and joy.

 Stayed tune for next week’s intro: The Golden Lass of Music City Maryland