"Are you okay with my children playing with your children?"is not normal, but at this moment in history it is the kind and respectful question to ask.
So far we have mostly avoided playgrounds when other children are playing at the same time ... until this past Sunday.
We spent the afternoon at a
state recreation area, eating our fast food lunch at a picnic table in the woods, hiking a short
trail, and then enjoying the main playground, before our ice cream treat.
Our ice cream was delayed, as we ended up at the playground for almost 1 1/2 hours!
Two
other children were playing on the huge play structure when we arrived,
and so I asked the parents, as is the new normal, "Are you okay with
our children playing here, too?" They said they had just been discussing
the fact that they needed to ask us that.
I had heard them speaking in a foreign language, so inquired, "May I ask what language you were speaking?"
And
that started our conversation! We four talked easily for over an hour, and
could have talked all day! Their 10 year old daughter was like a camp counselor with our two plus
her 5 year old brother, suggesting games, playing with them, reminding them of the boundaries, and ensuring everyone was having fun.
They
are not from the U.S.A., but their children were born here. We switched topics comfortably between school, homeschool, parenting, places to be out in nature,
economics, coronavirus, pigs, etc. Jim would have loved to talk with
them more, and I would have, too. As we were parting, the wife said our time together was a
bright spot during the coronavirus for them.
After
we left, I googled the department of a local university where they teach ... and her face is on
the front page in a news article reporting on a research project she is leading on COVID-19 research. They both are involved in
really high level research, nothing I could ever understand. But
oh, so humble, and kind. Our time at the playground was a breath of fresh air!
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