I know you love me…

I know you love me…

That is exactly what a young man told me the other day, in the library. Yes. You heard right. And yes, did I mention how young this young man was? Umm… 3 or 4 years old, would be about right.

I was browsing through the shelves, waiting for my daughter, when I made eye contact with this little fellow. With eager eyes, he showed me the book in his hand and I did exactly what anyone else would have done. Smiled at the little cutie and admired the book. I moved to the next aisle, bent down to look at a book, when I noticed someone standing right next to me. I turned around and saw my little friend. I grinned at him, and without a blink, he confidently proclaimed, “I know you love me”.  Quite taken aback, I stared at him, laughed, and replied, “Sure. Why not?”

I then turned around for I thought I was going to burst out laughing. He was of Indian descent and I figured that there must be some resemblance between me and his mother or another relative.

I repeated the story to my daughter. “That’s just weird,” she announced. I repeated the story to my husband. “What a player” he joked and said the kid had a bright future.  But surely, the little kid’s future seems bright with his confidence and self assuredness.

Even now, the thought of the little kid announcing my love for him, cracks me up. But in my heart, I really admire the kid and hope that he never lose his self-assuredness and belief that people around him adore him. Ahem… although I trust that in a decade’s time, it may be prudent for him to not walk about confessing and announcing other people’s love for him.

What a strength it must be to have such a perception or belief. To simply imagine that people around love (or at least like) us for exactly who we are and what we are. To never have to guage where we stand, based on other people’s reactions or emotions. To never have to feel good or bad about ourselves because it seems so in someone else’s eyes. To have the faith and confidence in ourselves and our lovability (that’s actually a word – I thought I was making it up).

We spend a chunk of our time and interaction with others gauging if other people (mere acquaintance to those close to us) like us, approve of us, of what we’re doing, of what we’re saying…and evaluate or reevaluate ourselves based on our perceptions of their perceptions of us. If the tongue twister weren’t crazy enough, the fact that at least some of us do this, is.

How liberating a thought to imagine that people around us simply love us… Can only a child think that way?  Are they intuitive, wishful, optimistic enough to do so? Does adulthood, rationality, past experience, make us jaded and incapable of believing so?

Why does the thought seem so incredulous? Is it most adults or is it only me? How much letting go will have to happen to merely start moving in the direction of that child’s thought…

And yes, my little friend was spot on. I do love him…