Young girl asks server why her skin is so dark and server quickly comes back with a response
Children are so pure.
There is something so wonderful about their innocence, the very trait that allows them to be so openly curious and honest about anything and everything. That’s why it’s important for adults to understand that it is simply part of children’s nature to be observant and inquisitive, that both traits should not be stifled by any means. While that may leave parents and guardians on their toes, equipped with an apology to blurt out should a situation call for it, there is also no denying that just letting them be while offering the right guidance will do so much for their character and overall growth.
Take little Holland. She just adores Mrs. Cynthia, a waitress at one of her favorite restaurants.
Mrs. Cynthia and Holland go way back.
The friendly waitress from Waffle House in Fort Myers knew Holland since the little girl was only a baby. She would always seat Holland in her favorite spot (the corner booth) and bring raisin bread and apple juice. No wonder Mrs. Cynthia became like family to Holland!
The family and Mrs. Cynthia have developed such a strong friendship that it’s gotten to a point where they pray for each other, especially during trying times in each other’s lives. The bond has also allowed Holland’s mom, an author, to be completely at ease working in the restaurant. How wonderful that Mary Katherine was able to write a book while enjoying cups of coffee in Mrs. Cynthia’s workplace – all because the friendship brought on such an unspoken comfort for both.
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But despite knowing how much Mrs. Cynthia and Holland love each other, there was one heart-stopping instance between the two that left Mary Katherine nervous and speechless.
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It was during one seemingly ordinary day at the restaurant when little Holland looked up at Mrs. Cynthia and said,
“Mrs. Cynthia, I want to have dark skin like you. Why is your skin so dark?”
Mrs. Cynthia’s response, simple as it was, had so much truth and wisdom behind it.
“Because God made everyone different! Isn’t that wonderful?”
Holland nodded in agreement and Mary Katherine found herself slowly relaxing. But the curious little girl wasn’t done yet. She still had more to say to her friend.
“But, Mrs. Cynthia — if I had your skin, we could both dress up like Tiana!”
The waitress couldn’t help but laugh as said Holland could still dress up like Tiana whenever she wished.
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It was during that moment that Mary Katherine realized just how valuable a lesson she and Holland learned from Mrs. Cynthia.
The author shares,
“My three-year-old daughter sees the difference between a black woman and a white woman. Human beings aren’t born oblivious to our differences. And honestly, in so many ways, pretending these differences don’t exist is an insult. What we must do—intentionally—is teach our children to see and APPRECIATE the things that make God’s people so unique. Whether that be their race, nationality, or religious beliefs… We need to talk about these things. Because, spoiler alert: our kids ALREADY see them.”
The mother concludes,
“…fear is a liar. And silence is a terrible teacher. Thank God for the wisdom and grace of Mrs. Cynthia. Moving forward, I won’t stop my children from asking questions about the world around them. I won’t shush them into silence and teach them that ‘difference’ is a dangerous or taboo topic. Instead, I will tell them this simple, honest-to-goodness truth, straight from the mouth of our dear friend, Mrs. Cynthia: ‘God made everybody different. And isn’t that wonderful?’”
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Thanks to Mrs. Cynthia’s answer and Mary Katherine’s guidance, Holland will grow up knowing there is so much more to a person than what is on the surface, that skin color doesn’t matter.
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Source: Love What Matters, Instagram – marykatherinebackstrom, Facebook – Mary Katherine Backstrom