Come With Us

“Come with us,” she said.

The words we choose matter. Practiced early they can teach us. Spoken later, they reveal us.

It was my first away camp. Seven years old and the youngest boy there. It made it difficult to find a friend, but a young teenage couple sort of took me under their wings.

“Come sit with us,” they’d invite.

“We’re going to the canteen. Come with us,” they’d encourage me.

“It’s swim day. Come on! Go with us,” they’d wave me in.

Never, “do you want to?” Of course a shy kid is likely to say, “No.”

Always, “come with us” or some version of that. Me being part, not being pitiful.

I’ve been sharing more of my personal story here hoping it will encourage you. It’s also a helpful reminder to me. Usually, it’s related to some seemingly small moment that may have passed me by on my life’s journey. A moment the likes of which I hope we can share from here on out.

Anyway, there’s a place for you in my small universe. You don’t have to be a customer. What I really need is a friend.