While last Tuesday’s gut-wrenching testimony of trauma, terrorism, treason and tears by Police Officers Gonell, Fanone, Hodges and Dunn might not be enough to change the minds of many in the GQP – it did a great deal to restore my faith in humanity.
Consequently, I believe it’s worthwhile to extend that good feeling with today’s offering.
[Editor’s Note: You might want to keep a tissue close by.]
A video taken by someone with the handle “McLiez” and posted on Facebook has been viewed over a million times and shared over 170,000 times – and deservedly so!
It’s just a minute-long clip taken of cars stuck in traffic. But a driver in one of the cars (believed to be in the Philippines) captured the most heart-warming video of a small boy holding a cloth that he most likely uses to clean car windows to earn some money. He approaches a stopped car with another small boy in the back. The child in the car rolls down his window and starts chatting with the boy. He then gives the child in the street a small toy he has so he could play with it, and the small boy is clearly delighted!
As the boys play with each other, the one in the car then gives him a large dirt-digging excavator toy to play with. When the child in the street later tries to return the toys, the boy in the car refuses to take them back.
Not sure what to do, but wanting to show his gratitude, the boy in the street goes to get a bag of snacks that he shares with the boy in the car. As the traffic starts moving again, the two boys wave to each other.
[NOTE: This link to a Facebook posting is NOT the original Facebook posting by McLiez, but one from the “India Times”. I’ve never belonged to Facebook and I’m not sure if the original is even available anymore. But I thought I should give Facebook some type of credit for posting it.]
BUT I did find a YouTube video of it:
In the same spirit I thought it’d be worthwhile to share a “Bonus” video of the kindness of one child shown to another, when a little boy comes to the aid of a clearly distraught autistic child on the first day of school.
I doubt children this age know what “compassion” or “empathy” even means. But more importantly, they know how to show it and share it with their fellow human beings.
5 Responses to “Feel Good Friday: “And A Child Shall Lead Them” [Isaiah 11:6]”
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Years ago, there was a science series onPBS looking into what makes humans human. I don’t remember most of it … but I do remember that one conclusion was that the impulse to help is in humans before tey can even talk. What the he** happens to us that overrides that? I guess you do have to be carefully taught to hate and fear., as the song says.
As most of you know, the song JD is referring to is "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" from Rodger and Hammerstein's musical "South Pacific".
The Pulitzer Prize & Tony award-winning musical debuted on Broadway in 1949 - but NOT without some serious birthing pains.
Many objected to it's progressive message that racism is not inherent - it's learned through tireless and tedious indoctrination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27ve_Got_to_Be_Carefully_Taught
If only it was as simple as the assumption that all humans are born tabula rasa, but not completely as they’re still inherently prone to help and share. And from then on they are taught to hate and fear, or not. Sadly, there are too many examples where even very young children showed unkind, even violent behaviour out of jealousy. And when hormones kick in and/or the adolescent brain change behaviour in unpredictable ways, it may undo any “teaching” that has gone before.
Personally, I don’t think much of humankind as a species but I take each individual as they come. I’m still able to assume an underlying kindness in everyone I meet until proven differently. Lovely videos of children sharing on equal footing, no matter their surroundings and circumstances, do make my day (thanks, Nameless). It doesn’t give me hope for humankind, but it does for these two individual little humans. Let’s also hope both are taught well and keep their innate openness towards others.
Enjoyed watching these videos. Both videos showing kindness, especially the second one with them hugging.
Children can bring so much joy to one another. It’s too bad that older ones tend to start moving in the opposite direction. Even getting worse, as they get into their teenage years/young adult stages.
Parenting must play a major role in the way these kids turn out too.
I was brought up to be kind to all. Growing up around all nationalities/races. We attended school classes, sports, and other school events with no problem then.
Now we have so violence/hate in our Country, which I personally blame a lot of it on tRump, GOP, and other R’s who never show any type of respect to others. Treating people like sh*t. Making these people feel like they’re worthless. All they care about is themselves.
I pray daily that all of the hate, killings and violence in our country ends. I would love to see people treat one another like the children in these videos show one another.
Thanks Nameless
Thanks Nameless–we do reap what we sow so let the seeds we sow be kindness.