I don't ever want to judge...do you ?

I heard their laughter first

from across the pond

~~

then

as I approached them

they ignored me

the same way I think most adults ignore a group of kids like this

~~

kids who look like trouble

the baggie jeans with their boxers hanging out

girls who think they look tough

with their eyes smothered in thick black eye liner

smoking to look cool

and

hooded sweatshirts with the hoods up

that we often take as

"don't even think about getting too close to us"

and

so we don't

~~

I walked right up to them and asked if I could take their pictures

and

they all smiled and asked me why

~~

I told them that I love real life photography

and

that they were the best thing I had seen all day

and

everyone of those tough faces

smiled

right at me

and

their eyes sparkled

I told them that I couldn't take photos of their faces

due to the fact that a parent might not want a complete stranger

photographing their children

and

they seemed to understand

they wanted to know what they should do

and

I said just be yourselves

~~

so they laughed

and

hugged

and

kept looking over their shoulder at me

~~

one of the girls said she felt like a celebrity

and

that I was the paparazzi

coming out of nowhere to take her photo

~~

it was one of the best compliments I've ever received

when I was almost done

I told them about my jumping photos

and

their excitement was tangible

as they ran over towards me

while I walked a little closer to the pond

~~

they practiced

they laughed

they competed to see who could jump the highest

and

then they thanked me with loud voices of

"this was great"

~~

I said

thank you

for being such great kids

*

give kids like this a chance...I have a teenager close to their same ages and he wears

a black hoodie and also thought smoking made him look cool

but

he wouldn't hurt a fly and almost everyday

has a heart larger than life

~~

maybe this is why I was so comfortable in the park with these kids

who knows

~~

just remember

they're kids

who maybe have parents too busy to notice that they aren't even home from school yet

or haven't had a hug or been told "I love you" in months

or even heard

good morning...have a great day at school...got everything you need

in weeks

~~

i think all of us can make a difference

in the lives of the kids who others ignore

and

the surprising part

is the difference they can make in yours

*