White Chocolate Tiger Woods Moment

This week I took Georgia to the library after picking her up from daycare. We don't usually go to this branch and it's a little smaller so I was devising a getting-too-loud-escape-plan should it become necessary.

As we walked toward the building, I realized it was an after school crowd and I need not worry. I passed a middle school aged boy sitting on a bench. He looked a little surly in expression, but because Georgia was staring at him I stopped and encouraged her to wave hi to him. The instant I spoke, he got this HUGE grin on his face and said she was the cutest thing ever. His entire demeanor changed and I was so glad we spoke, so glad we all smiled. It was a moment I realized again--and this is me, a person who spends her workdays surrounded by 450 teenagers--how important it is to speak to young people in passing rather than ignore them because of the fronts they put up. While I'm on this tangent, let me tell you that young people truly are feeling the economic hardships and need our compassion, grace, and honesty as adults. My students are sincerely wondering what kind of life awaits them after graduation and that is unimaginably scary.

Back to the library...

After rummaging through the DVD's with me, we headed to the children's section. The most beautiful girl immediately took a liking to Georgia. A pre-teen girl watching a couple little girls asked me if they were both my daughters. It was a innocently beautiful comment, given that this little girl was black and G's as white as any Scandanvian.

As Georgia toddered around the section, the little girl followed her and talked to her and came over to inform me that Georgia needed her nose wiped. Before I could stop her, she picked one up she found on the floor and did the job for me. Soon her mom and baby brother came over. As we talked, this little girl--who had the most beautiful braids and velvety cheeks--starts telling me how beautiful Georgia is. "I love her hair, I just love it..." she's saying as she strokes Georgia's hair. "Oh...I just love these cheeks..." as she's rubbing Georgia's face. I was in a personal little moment of heaven...where color didn't matter and there was a genuine admiration for someone who looked different.

It immediately brought to mind of a rosy cheeked cousin Conrad picture...dressed like a dapper little golfing fellow for pictures at his daycare, he was declared by a little black girl to be a white chocolate Tiger Woods. I guess this was Georgia's white chocolate moment.