Earlier this week while sitting atop the over-sized rubber hot dog at our local mall, I was teaching Henry all about life's little important lessons. Just minutes earlier, we witnessed two small girls playing together. A third girl came up and asked, "Can I play with you?" The girls looked at each other, thought it over turned to her and said, "No!" and ran off. The little girl burst into tears and started sobbing. Her Mother came over, "What's the matter?" "They wouldn't play with me," she says. And the very wise and bold Mother said, "So what?? Who cares??" Brilliant I'm thinking. I should be more like that. I am the one who thinks everyone should play together and be nice to each other. Henry asks why the girl is crying. We talk it over. He want's to hear the story again. "She is crying because those girls wouldn't play with her. That wasn't the right or the nice thing to do, was it?" He agree's. Henry is my very sensitive one. He IS my little Charlie Brown. In every single way. Deep down I knew that could have been him. That one day it probably would be him. But he got it. He GOT it.
Minutes later, the little girl runs up to him.
'This is your moment! This is your time to make the right decision!' I'm on the verge of busting with pride.
"Do you want to play with me?" the little girl asks Him.
…..waiting
…..waiting
…..waiting
and then it happens….
Henry throws his head back as far as it will go, tongue slightly sticking out, eyes rolling back in his head and let's out a long "aaaahhhhhh"
Translation= he would rather DIE than play with the little girl.
(Side note: This is the same reaction he had when opening a christmas package from Grandma that contained 4 pair of pants. Refusing to say 'thank you,' he later admitted that 'he shouldn't have to say thank you for gifts that are boring'.)
I don't believe it. What happened to our talk? Our talk that we had not 5 minutes prior. Had he already forgotten about the giant over-sized hot dog? The relish? The mustard?
I assure him it will be so fun. "Let's play tag!" The little girl says. Tag's him and off he runs.
Take home message: don't underestimate the power of conversations on an over-sized hot dog.
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