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When you find your people you find your people, be they your age or generations apart. It is rare to find an adult willing and able to treat children as whole persons. Not as inconveniences or sweet little things to indulge or creatures to impart knowledge unto. Just as fellow travellers on the journey of life capable of shared joys and sorrows. Willa found one of these special adults just up the road from us in our early days on the street. She would disappear for hours and come back happy as a lark after her afternoon chat with Grace and Pip (the dog). Then came the tragic news that after decades on this street they were selling house and moving down to New South Wales. Willa has been packing in what she can of her time with these friends until our final goodbyes last week. Grace and Willa exchanged incredibly thoughtful gifts and we waved from the end of the driveway as she drove past with Pip’s head sticking out for a last little sight.

Willa’s ability to find friends wherever she goes is impressive, but the inclusion of adults in that sphere is vital. It’s easy to forget as adults that the children around us need safe spaces and safe adults to engage with outside of teachers and parents. People they can see as actual for real life friends. I will never forget Grace and her ability/willingness to be that for Willa. I know Willa impacted her as well because she told me! And because she was open to a child being worthy of friendship; a friendship that both gives and takes. They shared the sorrow of saying goodbye to one another, but that sorrow marks a beautiful relationship that crossed generation and culture. It most certainly encourages me to open my eyes to the children God has put around me and what role I might play in their lives… and they in mine.