Something I wrote five years . Three-year old Lawson that I reference ... well he now is seventeen.
LA
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With Easter coming soon I am reminded of an event in our family. While we tell the story with humor, if we allow ourselves to think a bit, it also has a message that’s not quite so humorous.
A few years ago after church on Easter Sunday, all of our family went to the Opryland Hotel for a very nice brunch. Get your big billfold out Larry. Anyway, it was a great setting, very festive with flowers, eggs, music, and all that glitters of the Easter holiday. As we are waiting to enter the buffet line, who should appear but none other than ole floppy ears himself, the Easter Bunny. There he was, some adult dressed in full costume, ears, feet, tail the whole business. It was a life size bunny dancing and prancing his way toward us just like Harvey the rabbit. Sorry I guess you have to be a certain age to get that. Jimmy Stewart. Now who was Jimmy Stewart? Oh forget it; it’s your loss anyway.
Well, we all assumed that our grandson Lawson, age three at the time, would certainly be quite impressed to see Mr. Bunny. “Oh look Lawson, here comes the Easter Bunny let’s go see him. Oh, let’s get your picture taken with him.” “No” was his immediate reaction. The child who had been well out in front of us all now turns and looks for immediate shelter - Mother. “Oh come on, you’ll like the Easter Bunny.” A second and third time, “No!” We adults continued trying to coax three-year old Lawson to greet the bunny. Finally Lawson stopped, looked at all of us and made a statement that said it all... “I’m scared! No, I’m scared, so there!”
With that the child stayed very close to his mother and had nothing to do with the rabbit. His perception of Mr. Bunny and ours were not the same.
While our family remembers this story with humor, I think there is a serious thought that can be taken from it. Often we think we know what someone else would “like.” “Oh, come on you’ll really like this. Come on, you’ll really have fun. This is something you will want;” when in reality, that’s not necessarily so. Sometimes we are very good at figuring out just what someone else needs, likes or should do.
It would be good for us to remember that not everyone likes or wants their picture taken with the Easter Bunny.
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March 29, 2013
Keep on,
Larry Adamson