This morning as I made my way into work, I went to visit the mall’s public restroom before clocking in. As I turned down the long corridor that leads to restrooms, I saw a little girl and her mom exit the ladies restroom at the end of the long stretch. They were making their way back into the mall and I was walking down to the men’s room. We passed without a word to one another. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, after we passed each other, I heard the little girl ask, “Mom, why didn’t you say hi to him?” The mom responded kindly to her daughter, “Well honey, I didn’t know him.”
That little girl’s question has haunted me all day. Why didn’t I say hello? Would I had offended anyone by just kindly saying hello. Would I have ruined someone’s day by simply acknowledging their presence as we passed? In that little girl’s innocence it only made sense that you say hello to everyone. No one is too good or not good enough to be acknowledged whether you know them or not.
I have been challenged today... by a little girl. A little girl who sees a much smaller world than I do. A little girl who’s less worried about if anyone responds back as long they are acknowledged. A little girl who gets the big picture even in if only in an innocent way. Thank you little girl for asking the question. Now, I need to respond.
So, I dare ask... did you pass someone today... sure you did. But why didn’t you say hi to them?
