Listen:
One day, Pockets decided to go see his friend Paul at his football game for the first time.
Football wasn’t his sport, but since he had a friend who was into that sort of thing, he chose to show him some support.
He cheered for Paul’s team every time they had the ball. Pockets was just there to have a good time and show his support.
Then he noticed something very odd. He wondered why the kid sitting next to him wasn’t jumping up and down like he was.
Then it dawned on him: the kid was too small to see anything.
So Pockets asked the kid if he wanted to see the game.
The kid smiled and said, “Sure I do. But, I am too small to see over everyone, and it’s very crowded.”
So Pockets asked the kid, “By the way, what is your name?”
“What does it matter? I can’t see the game anyway,” the kid replied.
“My name is Pockets! And what’s your name again?”
“I didn’t tell you my name, and why do you want to know?”
“Well, I am going to call you ‘Y.'”
“Hey ‘Y’! Do you want to see the football game?”
“Y” said, “Um, yes! But—”
Pockets interrupted, “No buts!”
Pockets stooped down and said, “Get on my shoulders so you can see!”
“For real?” the kid replied. “Really? You would do this for me?”
Pockets said, “Hurry up before I change my mind.”
So the kid hopped on Pockets’ shoulders.
Pockets said, “Man, you are heavy.”
The kid started laughing out loud. “Wow! This is fun!”
Pockets just smiled.
Once the game was over, Pockets said, “You can get down now. I can’t feel my shoulders!”
The kid kept on laughing at Pockets’ silly sense of humor.
Paul saw Pockets and the kid together and said, “Who is this with you, Pockets?”
“I don’t know. His name is ‘Y.'”
The kid kept on laughing and said, “My name is Thomas.”
Pockets jumped back and said, “You mean to tell me that I was with a total stranger this whole time!”
Pockets started laughing too.
Paul laughed and joined in, saying, “Well, it looks like you made a new friend, Pockets!”
Thomas grinned widely. “Thanks for letting me see the game, Pockets. That was really nice of you.”
Pockets smiled and said, “No problem, Thomas. Everyone deserves to enjoy the game, right?”
As they all walked away from the football field, Thomas turned to Pockets and asked, “Why did you help me even though you didn’t know me?”
Pockets thought for a moment and then replied, “I just thought about how sad it would be to miss out on something fun just because of something you can’t change, like being too small. Helping you see the game was the right thing to do.”
Thomas nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad you did. You made my day a lot better.”
Pockets patted Thomas on the back. “And you made mine better too. It feels good to help others.”
Paul chimed in, “That’s true! Helping others not only makes them happy but also brings joy to your own heart.”
As they continued walking, Pockets realized that the simple act of kindness had taught him an important lesson. Helping others, no matter how small the gesture, could make a big difference. He felt proud of himself and happy that he could make a new friend.
When Pockets got home, he told his parents about his day. They were proud of him for being so kind and thoughtful. Pockets went to bed that night with a warm feeling in his heart, knowing that kindness and compassion were the keys to making the world a better place.
And so, Pockets learned that no matter how different people might be, a little bit of kindness can bring everyone together. From that day on, he always looked for ways to help others and spread happiness wherever he went.
