#lovelikeachild

[meekajoyy]

i love this aw

[pushingtheruralenvelope]

The Sandlot. The swan song of my life. There were other movies. The Princess Bride. The Goonies. Scamper the Penguin (don't ask, it's corny as all get out, but I loved it.) There is something, though, about this movie which really speaks to me. The way completely different kids bond over their love of baseball. The way a leader (Bennie) steers a group toward inclusivity. Baseball. I loved baseball as a kid. My favorite part about summer was riding my bike with my glove attached to the handle bar, a bat dangling from my other hand, going to the park to play baseball with my Dad and brother. Now, my seven year old son has watched this movie. What was his take away? "Mom, I want to help people." He saw how Bennie included Scottie even though he wasn't very good and everyone else was teasing him. He saw what Bennie did and latched on to it. I didn't know this was his inspiration until after I relayed this out-of-the-blue comment to my husband, who informed me of the conversation they had while watching the movie together this morning. It floored me. While I loved that part about the movie, what I latched on to was the camaraderie and shared love of baseball. I loved the uncomplicated nature of their relationships and longed for similar ones. I even "dated" a boy in 5th grade who looked and acted exactly like Scottie. Sometimes the maturity and genuine caring of a child is so impressive it leaves you speechless. Children are amazing, and we can learn so much from them if we allow ourselves to talk to them and relate to them.