This happened one afternoon while I was outside painting the house.
I heard the soft screech of the school bus brakes a few houses down. A group of kids hopped off and started walking past.
One little boy paused and called out,
“What are you doing?”
I smiled and said,
“I’m just doing a little painting. How was school today?”
He walked closer and shrugged.
“School was okay… is that fun?”
I laughed and told him,
“I think it’s fun. Want to give it a try?”
His eyes lit up instantly.
“Yeah!”
I said,
“Alright, little buddy, I’ll grab you a brush. But first, go check with your parents if it’s alright.”
He ran off, and a few minutes later he came back grinning from ear to ear.
We painted together for hours, chatting about little things as we worked. Then, out of nowhere, he told me quietly that his parents didn’t care what he did… and the only thing he really looked forward to at school was lunch because there was no food at home.
My heart sank.
Before he left, I packed up a box with everything I could find in the house and handed it to him for him and his brothers. I told him gently,
“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come by, little man.”
As I watched him walk away with that box of food, one thought kept echoing in my mind:
Every child deserves a parent.
Not every parent deserves a child.