Okay, I confess: I picked the number at random.
But the point is that today I encountered something new to add to my already very long list of things I love about Ananda.
We were at a birthday party for two dear friends, with probably twenty or thirty people in attendance.
The organizer got us all seated in preparation for some sharing of stories about the birthday people, but one of them had a niece who wanted to read a story to us. So just like that — no questions asked — we all sat quietly and listened to her read her book to us. She was also very careful to show us the illustrations on every page.
I found it both wondrous and utterly charming. First of all, that she felt safe and comfortable enough to share in that way (especially considering that many of us weren’t close acquaintances of her family).
And secondly, that all the adults in the room gave her our focused, respectful attention, with absolutely no impatience or condescension.
A lovely, magical moment in time.