My five-year-old friend Kassia was a kind-hearted, whimsical girl. She would dress as colorfully as she would dance and speak - she was a unique spirit. I can only imagine she continues to be a unique girl these many years later. Although, to me, she will always be five-years-old and telling stories that make the world a better place.
Kassia would take care of bugs, of pieces of leaves, of the tiniest morsel of something that perhaps to someone else would seem like nothing. Kassia was the care-taker of the small and meek. Of course, to any young child, roly poly bugs are an attraction...
Wow, something alive that can curl into a literal ball? Wow! Something that has tiny, wavy legs when upside-down? Wow! Something that travels across dirt, mud and grass? Wow!
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| checking out the bug catcher carnival. |
Kassia's sincere sweet story about her care-taking of a roly poly:
"I am taking care of my roly poly because I love her. Her name is Ariel-Mary-Flower-SnowWhite-SleepingBeauty-Katherine-Sarah. I have her in this cup so she won't escape. I will feed her grass and plants that are good for her so she won't die. I will also put her in the carnival - a bug catcher carnival where all the bugs play and have fun. There is also a pretend bug to keep them company if there is only one."
How loyal is it that Kassia makes sure that her roly poly has a beautiful name, and there is food, there is fun and there is at least one friend? Wouldn't it be better for all of us if - on the right occasion - we had a pretend friend so we wouldn't be alone? Children always have the best ideas.
