Article April 20, 2015 Issue

Love conquers hate

Lauren Weiss

Children never fail to surprise me—whether it is their extensive knowledge of dinosaurs, their never-ending energy, or their unconditional love and forgiveness. I have been a baby-sitter for several years. I’ve looked out for children while they played outside, and I’ve helped fix meals and made sure they got ready for bed. And there have been times when they have handled things better than I ever could.

One boy I babysit, Peter, was born without a forearm. This may seem to some as a real loss, but it has never stopped him from rock climbing, swimming, and playing just as normally as any other kid. After a while, you realize he is whole, inside and out. A hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal says this about God, and man as His reflection: “In Thine own image we may see / Man pure and upright, whole and free” (Violet Hay, No. 12, © CSBD). So I try to remember this and see the spiritual qualities that children, and everyone, express.

One day this summer I was at the pool with Peter and his two younger brothers. We were playing in the sand, when another little boy approached Peter and said, “I hate you because of your funny arm.”