Words of Kindness

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 29-Apr-2008 edition

 

WORDS OF KINDNESS

By Dr James Dobson

 

I remember sitting in my car at a fastfood restaurant eating

a hamburger and french fries. When I looked in the rearview mirror,

I saw the most pitiful, scrawny little kitten on a ledge behind my car.

I was so touched by how hungry it looked that I got out, tore off

a piece of my hamburger and tossed it to him.

 

But before the kitten could reach it, a huge tomcat sprang out

of the bushes, grabbed the morsel and gobbled it down.

I felt even more sorry for the kitten who turned back

and ran into the shadows, still hungry and frightened.

 

I was immediately reminded of my years as a secondary school

teacher. I saw teenagers every day who were just as needy,

deprived and lost as that little kitten. It wasn’t food that they

required, it was love, attention and respect – and they were

desperate for it. And just when they opened up and revealed

the pain inside, one of the more popular kids would abuse

and ridicule them, and send them scurrying back into the

shadows, frightened and alone.

 

As adults, we must never forget the pain of trying to grow up,

and of the competitive world in which many adolescents live

today. To take a moment to listen to, to care for, and to direct

such a youngster may be the best investment of a lifetime.