Today's Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul

[Guest guest]

Sweet Salvation

By Jim Warda

My nine-year-old, , told me that he wanted to give

one of his old rings to a girl.

When he did, I was shocked, amazed that he was already

having those types of feelings. After all, aren't nine-

year-old boys supposed to be thinking about Nintendo, and

not nine-year-old girls?

Unfortunately, since I was a bit overcome, I couldn't tell

him what I most wanted to say. That I was proud of him,

especially because he wanted to show a girl that he liked

her, when doing so in the fourth grade can get you some

mighty big doses of embarrassment.

And, I wanted to thank him. Because, with what this world

has gone through lately, I've lost some hope and a little

faith. But to see my son do something so pure showed me

once again that love will save the world. Quiet and simple

moments of love, built one upon the next, like children's

blocks.

Like when my son first decided that he felt something for

this girl. What must that have been like for him, to feel

what he'd never felt before?

Later, I asked if it was O.K. to write about him, to

share his story with you. He quickly agreed. He seemed

proud, probably thinking that feeling something for a girl

meant that he was more grown up.

Then, I asked him why he wanted to give her the ring. After

thinking about it, he hesitated, then mumbled that she was

sort of special.

Sort of special. For a nine-year-old boy, that's like

quoting Shakespeare.

Love will save the world. It always has.