Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Autumn/Fall (08/27/09)
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TITLE: Best Friends | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marilyn Meiners
09/02/09 -
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“Mom, where are you? Moooooom!”
I heard the back door slam as my seven year old son, Darrell, came running into the
house looking for me. “What does he want now,” I mused. The way he was yelling, I
was certain something terrible had happened. I left my ironing in search of this little boy.
“There you are. Mom, can Martin come over after school tomorrow? You
remember Martin, right? He’s my best friend from school. We want to walk through our back
woods and find leaves for a project in school.”
I didn’t really remember Martin, didn’t remember being introduced to him, but Darrell certainly
talked about him – a lot. I felt as though I already knew him. Every afternoon, when Darrell came home
from school, I heard all about the latest adventures he and Martin experienced in school that day.
I mentally thought of all I needed to accomplish tomorrow. Did a little play-mate fit into my
agenda?
“Well, Mom? Can he come?”
“Yes, I’d like to meet Martin. Ask him to stay for dinner. ” With these words, Darrell ran off
to phone Martin and share the good news with him. I smiled to myself as I listened to their excited
exchange. No doubt about it – Darrell and Martin were, indeed, best-of-friends.
Darrell was up and ready for school in record time. I could feel his excitement. Mom was
letting his best friend come over to play – and stay for dinner. At that moment I was certain I had
won the trophy, “World’s Best Mom”.
“I’ll be at school by three o’clock to pick you and Martin up”, I said to Darrell as he rushed out
the front door to catch the school bus.
“Okay mom. We’ll be waiting.”
As I busied myself around the house, and checked my ‘things-to-do list’, I wondered if
two little boys were able to concentrate on what they were being taught in class. If I had to make
a guess, I would say their teacher lost them somewhere between math and science; as their minds
wandered to the woods and their search for autumn leaves.
When three o’clock arrived I was dutifully sitting outside Midwestern Academy waiting
for two best friends to come walking through the school doors. I didn’t have to wait long. Here
came Darrell, arms around his best friend. This was Martin? This little boy was my
son’s best friend?
As the back car door opened, and two laughing boys climbed in, I hoped neither of them noticed
the look of surprise on my face. “Hi, Mom,” a very pleased little boy said. “This is my friend, Martin.”
“Ah… hi Martin,” I mumbled. So, this was Martin.
Deep in thought, I half listened to the lively chatter coming from the back-seat.
Once home, the two took off running for the woods. They returned an hour later with a
collection of autumn leaves in their hands. Maple. Elm. Oak. A beautiful collection of leaves. “We’re
gonna’ go put these in a scrapbook,” Darrell announced. I could hear laughter coming from the
direction of his bedroom.
After taking Martin home, and with carefully chosen words, I said to Darrell, “Martin is your best
friend, right?”
“You bet mom. Isn’t he just the coolest?”
“Yes, Son, he is a very nice boy. I really like him. But, Darrell, why didn’t you tell me he was
a dark-skinned African American?”
“Huh? What do you mean mom? He’s not dark skinned.
“Really? You don’t think he looks different than you. Look at yourself. You are a light-skinned
Caucasian.”
“Mom, I have no idea what you are talking about. Martin is Martin. We like each other. He’s
just like me. He loves Jesus, likes the same things I do, and he’s my best friend.”
I thought about what my bright, intelligent, insightful son just said. When he looked at Martin,
alongside himself, he did not see light skin verses dark skin. He saw two friends who loved Jesus. He
saw two friends who had fun together. He saw Martin through eyes that were color-blind.
I thought about their collection of autumn leaves – all different, yet when put together in a
scrapbook they were amazingly similar.
My seven-year old son taught me a valuable lesson that day. I too need to see my world
through color-blind eyes. God made all people, light or dark, in His image. In Jesus, we are not
different. We are like those autumn leaves – colorful and beautiful.
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