July 4th in Round Top

We drove into Round Top this morning for their annual 4th of July parade.... this was their 165th consecutive year of this holiday parade.  165 years of celebrating Independence Day in a town whose population is less than 100. Amazing.

The parade had decorated floats from local business owners, the bank, the post office, vintage cars and trucks and tractors, and a team of high-stepping horses that just took your breath away.  Before the parade began, there was a prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, and a mother/daughter duo sang 'The Star Spangled Banner' with beautiful voices that brought a tear to everyone's eyes.  The Mayor of Round Top was there, along with a Texas state senator, and a retired military man who is a history buff and a brilliant speaker... everyone listened to them all with rapt attention, not merely with politeness but with careful understanding.

The riders on nearly all of the floats tossed out candy, beaded necklaces, and small gifts to the crowd, mainly for the children, who were right up front with paper sacks and plastic buckets to hold their 4th of July treats. My husband and I were underneath the awning of a local cafe, in the shade, enjoying the cool breeze from the trees in the main square, and watching every minute of that parade. Directly across from us, on the other side of the street, were two small children between the ages of five and seven... a little boy and a little girl.

The two children caught my attention as soon as the parade began because they would hold hands as they watched the floats going by, and then they would separate to gather up the candy and toss it into their buckets. The little girl's bucket was bright red plastic, the little boy held a new bucket of silver metal. After catching their candy treats, the little boy and the little girl would rush towards one another, compare the candy and gifts they had in their buckets, and then quickly trade with one another so their buckets would be filled with an equal amount of goodies.

As soon as they traded their 'loot,' the two kids held hands again, watching the next float going by, then just as before.... their hands would come apart, they would gather up their goodies, quickly trade, and just as quickly hold hands again to wait till the next float or vehicle passed by. It was a very poignant and heart-warming display of friendship.

What made the partnership of those two children even more special and loving was that the little girl was a white child, the little boy was a black child. I sit here typing this and I would bet my life on the belief that those two children are such good friends because they see more sameness between them than differences.  It is my firm belief that children are not born with racial distinction controlling their life choices. That characteristic is a learned trait, and not one that at all fosters kindness and respect.

Adults need to watch the little children such as those two little friends at today's small-town parade... the young ones whose innocence and kindness and faithfulness are not yet clouded by the angry outbursts and judgmental opinions of those who have lost the ability to look at people as just what they are..... people.

We all share just this one planet. It's not as large as you all seem to think. We need to get along. We need to share. We need to love one another and be kind. Be kind. Be. Kind.