UPFRONT August 16, 2010 Issue

CELEBRATE THE CHILD IN YOU

INGRID PESCHKE, MANAGING EDITOR

My family and I typically spend our Memorial Day weekend side by side with other volunteers, helping to open a summer camp for the season. We clear leaves, plant flowers, paint cabins, chip wood, and this year we helped put in a large vegetable garden.

One warm afternoon, taking a break from digging holes and planting tomatoes, my younger son and I made our way to the lake for a refreshing rest. He plunged right in, along with a few other children. The water sparkled as I settled into my shore perch and dug my feet into the sand. Then I noticed a little girl splashing toward me in the water. She was singing a happy tune and twirling a large leaf in her hand. Suddenly, she was by my side and with a big grin said, "This is for you!" handing me the wet leaf.

Her "present" was the punctuation point on my day—perhaps because it was so unexpected, and because her expression of joy was so free and unassuming. I shared my delight with her mother, who'd been observing her daughter from a distance.

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