Every kid no matter the nationality seems to react the same way – they love ice cream. This little girl was enjoying strawberry in Hemiji, Japan. She was tottering around our seats and was a little shy when I said, “Kenichiwa”. Her Grandmother spoke to her in Japanese…then she smiled and showed me her ice cream cone. I think it was our western faces and our size that put her off…but grandma’s words made us seem less scary.
Haven’t we all felt that way at times? Someone new and different crosses our path and fear kicks right in. We take one look at their strange face or different features, and we begin making judgements. We think of all the warnings our parents told us as children – for good reason of course – and let caution guide our steps. Even into adulthood the tapes about being careful, being cautious, don’t trust people…stay away from stranger danger…they all play in our heads. I get that.
Yet in this instance ice cream was the great unifier! Thank God for the person who invented putting it in cones so we could eat it with our hands. There is something more universal than fear…and it is ice cream. This little girl enjoying a yummy pink strawberry cone made me want some; my husband was gracious enough to stand in line and get me a cone of my own! So she and I ate our ice cream, each savoring the flavor and fun…separated only by language. Ice cream, it brings out the kid in us all…
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