That Bright Little Dot
By Jacki Bower
“Mommy,“ little Sydney asked her mother as she washed the dishes, “What's wrong with that boy named Bobby at my school? He talks funny and he blinks a lot.“
Sydney's mother looked down at her little girl and sighed. This was a hard lesson to learn, and a harder one to teach. “Well Syd,“ she replied, “Bobby has a different kind of brain than us. He has what is called a learning disability.“
“Oh,“ Sydney said. “But does that mean it's okay to tease him, since he's so different and weird?“ she asked.
Her mother sighed again. “No honey, of course not. Everyone is different. We have to accept all our friends, even if you think they're a little weird.“
“But why does Harry make fun of him all the time and steal his lunch then?“ Sydney asked with confusion.
“I don't know sweetie,“ said her mother. “You'll meet lots of others in your life who are like that, and you'll never know why.“
Sydney looked out the window at the starry sky and thought about all this. “I wonder,“ she murmured. “If on one of those little dots in the sky, there is a world where no one ever gets made fun of and everyone accepts each other.“ Her mother smiled down at her. “Like maybe that bright little dot down there,“ she continued, pointing, “is a planet where everyone loves each other for who they are.“
“Oh no, not that dot, Syd,“ her mother quickly corrected. “I know for a fact that people on that planet are much more judgmental and prejudiced than even we are.“
“Too bad,“ Sydney sighed. “What's that planet called anyway?“
Her mother wrapped a tentacle around her daughter's scaly shoulder and raised her three eyes to the bright little dot. “That, my darling,“ she said, “is Earth.“
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I love the name Sydney. What a beautiful name.
- Becky Selzer
Middletown, MD