Not of society accepting Jack Jack…but of Jack Jack reaching out to someone our society would marginalize.

We went to a cousin’s birthday party this past week and all three of my kiddos were invited.  The birthday girl’s daddy is a big, scary dude. We’ll call him BB.  He only wears tie-dye shirts, has bristly hair and beard sticking out in a hundred different directions.  They live in a yurt, off the grid, and do a little more pot smoking then is technically allowed.

The rest of our family are (admittedly) straight-laced Protestants with not much originality or tolerance for these rebels.   The birthday girl’s parents have always enjoyed being the black sheep, the outcasts but also voice a lot of resentment and bitterness as well.

So, we get to the birthday party and there is all kinds of sugar induced chaos, as you can imagine.  Jack Jack wandered into the kitchen where BB was standing in a corner, clearly out of place and uncomfortable, certain that everyone who walked by was judging him.  Jack Jack looked up at BB and held is arms open to be picked up.  BB was so surprised, but reached down and held him and for the next three hours they were inseparable.  BB was at his beck and call and even wore a party hat at Jack Jack’s insistence.

As we are getting ready to leave, BB, in a gruff and unsure voice, says to me, “you know, most kids are scared of me and don’t usually want to hang out with me.  It was kinda cool having a buddy today.”

I was really moved by how touched BB seemed to be and said something about how that extra chromosome was so great at stripping away pretenses and seeing into the real heart and soul of a person.

BB and Jack Jack high fived and we came home and I’ve been thinking all day, how blessed I am to have this little person, and his open and generous heart in my life and how I want to be more like him.