I didn’t want to expose Kyra to more embarassment due to her poison ivy, but I had to pick up a friend from out of town, at the mall.  We ended up staying to eat lunch in the food court, and I noticed two things:

First, that people looked at Kyra’s face, a lot.  Her poison ivy rash hasn’t responded to the treatments yet, and it looks like a huge burn or a massive birthmark on her face and neck.  I was probably more aware than normal, but I know Kyra was self-concious, too.

The second thing I realized was that people were so… considerate.  Some looked away quickly, but most made a point of smiling at Kyra.  Several people made comments to her, like, “You’re holding your tray of food so well” and, “Hi, Sweetie” and “Aren’t you a pretty girl!”  It’s not like we’re normally ignored or anything, but there was a noticeable, intentional reaching out to Kyra specifically.

It just made me feel good, that so many people were thoughtful and kind to my daughter, and made an effort to make her feel normal and capable and pretty.  

It’s very easy for me to get caught up in what’s negative in our world, with emails and movies and television reports on the news of bad people doing bad things… And I forget that there are a lot of good people, too.  Yesterday’s trip to the mall was a much-needed reminder of the kindness that is out there, that there is a decency within most people and a desire to do the right thing and show compassion.  I’m thankful for that reminder, and thankful for the kindness of strangers.

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