Playground Lesson

At the local playground, my friend Mitchell stood out—not just for his size, but for his unique perspective on growing up. While other children played, Mitchell watched them intently, desperately wanting to fit in.

As the kids ran around in their underwear, Mitchell decided he wanted to be just like them. With determination, he began tugging at his diaper, hoping to remove it and seem more like the other children.

I quickly intervened. "Mitchell," I said gently but firmly, "you don't need to change who you are to be cool."

Mitchell looked up at me, his eyes wide with confusion. "But I want to be like the other kids," he whined.

I knelt down and explained, "Being yourself is what makes you special. It's not about copying others or trying to be something you're not."

At first, Mitchell didn't understand. But as the day went on, he began to see that his worth wasn't determined by what he wore or how he looked compared to others.

The lesson was simple but powerful: embrace who you are, differences and all. Mitchell might have been bigger than the other kids, might have still needed a diaper, but he was uniquely himself—and that was something to be proud of.

By the end of the day, Mitchell had learned an important truth: true confidence comes from accepting yourself, not from trying to be someone else.