Heroes on Mission

On a walk yesterday, I saw a little boy on a walk with his mom, and he was wearing a red satin cape around his neck. It billowed behind him.

From across the street, I called, “I like your cape.”

He stopped walking and looked at me.

His mother said, “Can you say thank you?” So I paused my walk to give him space to practice, showing his manners, not because I needed him to, but because these things matter to moms.

The boy and I stood, paused in each other‘s call and response, looking at one another across the black pavement. He stared fiercely at me.

Then he reached to the top of his head for his mask. He pulled it over his eyes and nose, never breaking eye contact with me.

“Oh, wow,“ I said in reverence. “And I love your mask.”

 His mother prompted again, “Can you say thank you?”

But he already had by trusting me with another layer of himself. I saluted him, and we parted ways, heroes on mission.