I saw a child today, so precious and small. In her hands, tucked caringly, a parcel of paper hearts. “These are for my friends,” she gleamed.

Her father explained the ‘challenges’ she had, being born with a visible genetic defect. “Downs Syndrome,” he said. “Can you believe they asked if we wanted to keep her?”

His eyes began to tear. “Kids can be cruel,” he said. “We tried to explain that she was different, but…” as his voice trailed off.

As if being different was a sin.

She began this process of creating paper hearts. Long into the night, she whittle and work in wonderment. And, then? She’d tucked the hearts into a drawstring bag only to return with it empty again.

“We don’t know why,” he said, accepting the beauty of her just as it is.

And so, I scrunched down, leaned in and asked, “Where do the hearts go each day,love.”

I already knew the answer.

“I give them to my friends,” she said. “Cause all our hearts are the same.”

And with impish grin, she shared one with me, too.”

Indeed, our hearts bridge where the eyes deceive. We are all one – precious, beautiful, imperfect human beings.

And though I’ve received many hearts in my day, this one – I believe to be most loved.

Namaste, my loves ~ and here’s a wish for more loving hearts in your day ❤️