Friday night is Parents Night Out at our local gymnastics center. The kids love it. It is 3 hours of running around, making noise, playing games and snacking on pizza and juice. When Pa and I arrived to pick them up last night, about 25-30 kids were engaged in a rather energetic game of Duck, Duck, Goose. A handful of the children had not yet had the pleasure of being the "goose". Mr. Edwards was one of them. He was frantically waving his hand in the air to be chosen. I have to admit that I was a bit embarrassed by his apparent desperation. After all he is 10 years old and one of the oldest children there. Surely it wasn't THAT important that he get to be the goose.
Turns out it was important, but not for the reasons I assumed. In the next few minutes I would see what his desperation was all about. He was not desperate to chase down the one who would eventually choose him. He was not desperate to outrun the person he would ultimately pick as goose. In fact, I would soon learn that he was not desperate at all.
After finally being chosen goose, it was now his turn to choose the next goose. He began to walk around the circle tapping the other children's heads and saying duck until he reached the smallest girl there. She was probably 3 or 4 years old. He tapped her on the head and said, "Goose". He took off running and she after him. Half-way around the circle he slowed his pace considerably. The little girl, still running her heart out, tagged him before he reached the open spot in the circle. She was so thrilled to have tagged him. I was grateful I had arrived a few minutes early to witness this act. It was a small act but the thoughtfulness and selflessness behind it were great indeed.
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