Wouldn't It Be Fun

You should have seen their faces. We handed out the candy and asked them to wait until everyone had one before opening them. They picked their favorites. We let them take their time. On signal they unwrapped, all at once. The girls were sure surprised. Some girls laughed. Some were not too happy.

The candy was tootsie roll pops. We used different flavors, but we had unwrapped them earlier and switched the wrappers. The girls didn’t suspect a thing until the wrappers were off. The experience led to a lively discussion about how things aren’t always what they seem.

It happens to everyone now and then. Things just don’t turn out the way you expected. That book with a fabulous cover turns out to be a dud. The movie that everyone raves about isn’t what you were hoping for. Heroes disappoint us. Things that look easy turn out to be hard. Plans break down. A beautiful morning turns into a rainy afternoon. Things don’t always pan out.

Life has a way of surprising us too. We don’t always get what we bargain for. Cars break, even pretty ones. Friends sometimes let us down. Stuff costs more than it’s worth. Bills pile up and bodies wear out. Sometimes people with lots of troubles look very happy and those who don’t appear to have a care in the world have misery we can’t guess about.

With candy, with books and movies, with weather and life, we learn to go with the flow. If we’re smart, we also learn to reserve judgment and eventually we figure out that you can’t always tell from the outside what’s going on inside. The old saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” has lots of real life applications.

With people you can’t really tell either until you get under the skin. Looks can be deceiving, but hearts don’t lie. Wouldn’t it be fun if we could get to know each other before we judge? Wouldn’t it be fun if you could see inside my heart and I could look in yours and we could know what’s real and what’s pretend?

Wouldn’t it be fun?

Linda Garner