October 13th, 2024
Almost every morning, I take my grandson to a playground. Asher is nearly four years old, and he likes to play with other children. He doesn’t differentiate between genders. He is oblivious to race and ethnicity. He doesn’t even ask the other children their names. He is only interested in finding somebody who wants to be with him.
The nearby playgrounds have an eclectic mix of people. I sometimes talk with the other caregivers. They come from all over the world: Qatar, Norway, Mexico, India, Iraq, Japan, you name it. These adults all have different backgrounds and different histories, and yet their kids are all in the same place running and around and laughing like crazy people.
It wasn’t like that when I was young, or even when my children were little. The population then was much more homogenous. People looked the same and sounded alike. Things have changed. Our world is more diverse, and in some ways more divided. We interact with individuals who may not speak our language or share all of our values. Yet, we need to get along with one another.
I look at the kids and I see what the future holds. These little ones don’t share my prejudices. They don’t have my experiences. When they play together, they’re just kids. They laugh and cry and make up games. They may fight bitterly about a toy, but after a couple minutes they are best friends. They haven’t learned to hate. God willing, they never will.
All the children I see at the playground share at least one thing. Each of them is there with an adult who cares for them and protects them. Every child I see is loved, and they know it. That is what these kids have in common.
Frank is Emptiness 