We went to Ava, Missouri today--perhaps our favorite town in this state, about 55 miles from here. There's nothing super special about it--just another Ozark town with a neat town square, but it has a huge natural foods store, and a drug store with an old-fashion soda fountain where you can get a cup of coffee for 5 cents, a soft drink for 5 cents (small) or 10 cents (large), an ice-cream cone (wide variety of ice-cream choices) for 5 cents for one scoop or 10 cents for two scoops. They have a nice juke box there--a dime for one song or quarter for three--and an old cash register that they really use. Everybody in the town is genuinely friendly, and it's not a tourist town. We happened to get there during a farmers' market in the square, so the girls (only Julia and Disa came with us) had fun holding the ducklings and chicks, and Micki had fun buying organic vegetables, etc. and a strawberry plant with strawberries on it.
At the natural food store, while I was buying sassafras tea and pine tar soap and shampoo, a little four-year-old girl was talkatively following Julia and Disa all around the store. Julia finally came and whispered to me a complaint of how this girl was following them. The girl was a doll, very cute and very friendly. Finally I heard her saying to them, "I don't think you like me. I don't think you want to play with me." And she walked away to the play area and got busy with something. Moments later she ran back and handed Julia a colorful picture she drew of a smiling face, and said, "Here. I drew this for you." Julia took it but said nothing, perhaps thank you. I looked at the picture and said, "Oh, that's a nice picture. That's a happy picture." The little girl listened, then turned to Julia and said, "It's a picture of your dad."
When we were finally leaving and walking out the door, having made our purchase, the little girl said to Julia, "No hugs? No Kisses? No anything? We all has to have hugs and kisses." So Julia stepped back and gave her a hug.
This little girl will never know the impact she had on us. Julia raved about her on the way home, and is saving her picture. You can now see it here. If only all of us would dare to spread so much joy. The girl's last words to Julia and Disa were, "I'll see you tomorrow."
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For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click here.
At the natural food store, while I was buying sassafras tea and pine tar soap and shampoo, a little four-year-old girl was talkatively following Julia and Disa all around the store. Julia finally came and whispered to me a complaint of how this girl was following them. The girl was a doll, very cute and very friendly. Finally I heard her saying to them, "I don't think you like me. I don't think you want to play with me." And she walked away to the play area and got busy with something. Moments later she ran back and handed Julia a colorful picture she drew of a smiling face, and said, "Here. I drew this for you." Julia took it but said nothing, perhaps thank you. I looked at the picture and said, "Oh, that's a nice picture. That's a happy picture." The little girl listened, then turned to Julia and said, "It's a picture of your dad."
When we were finally leaving and walking out the door, having made our purchase, the little girl said to Julia, "No hugs? No Kisses? No anything? We all has to have hugs and kisses." So Julia stepped back and gave her a hug.
This little girl will never know the impact she had on us. Julia raved about her on the way home, and is saving her picture. You can now see it here. If only all of us would dare to spread so much joy. The girl's last words to Julia and Disa were, "I'll see you tomorrow."
______
For the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click here.
Dear Dale,
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by my "Pollyanna" blog~ This was a great story, and I really enjoyed reading it. We should, indeed, all be like the little girl in the store!
I noticed that you live in Branson. We're in Kansas City, but we have dreams of starting a family theater there in Branson (as well as living on a farm nearby). :)
As of yet, we haven't made it down to look around! But we're still dreaming. . .
Take care,
Marqueta
p.s. My husband was "midwife" for four of our children, too!
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