My wise little girl

Just after Christmas my brother (also known as Uncle Noah) and I took Kayla out for a night on the town. After almost being run off the road by a couple of taxi drives, I found a great parking spot. On our walk from the car to Union Square my little girl quickly noticed the men sleeping in front of the closed doors on the dark streets and asked aloud why they were sleeping there in the cold. I did my best to explain that some people don't have houses, like my friends under the overpass near our house. She asked "Why?", her questions she asks me 8,000 times a day, and we had a little talk about some people having more money than other people for lots of different reasons.

Yesterday Kayla and I went on another date, this time to a coffee shop. After thoroughly enjoying her treat from the beloved coffee shop, Kayla asked why the big girl was talking to people in the middle of the parking lot. Well, the truth was the girl was asking people to let her wash their windshields in exchange for some money. "Why?", asked my little girl. I was about to ask the same question since it was raining outside, but that thought is for another story. "Well, some people don't have enough money," I tried to explain. "Everybody should have enough money," Kayla quickly replied, before adding, "Daddy, the girl doesn't have enough money just like the people who sleep in front of the stores downtown?" I was speechless...shocked she could put this all together in her head, proud of her to care and think about it, and saddened at the truths she was calling out. We talked some more but I can't even remember what I said. A few moments later I pointed out the new condos being built that our car was now passing. "Daddy, are those new houses going to be for the people without houses!?" She said it with such hope and joy, like she had it all figured out and she was so excited about it, that I didn't want to dash her hopes and tell her the truth.

The crazy thing is that I don't have long talks about social justice and poverty with Kayla. Most of the conversations I initiate with her are very simple. I want her to know that her Mommy and Daddy love her, that God loves her, that she should take care of her little brother and share with him, things like that. But something in her little head starts churning when she looks around this City, and I love the truth and hope that comes from somewhere inside of her when we have our little conversations. I can't imagine what we'll be talking about when she's 4.