My son never met a stranger. It is very interesting to observe my three year old in action. Walking down the aisles of the grocery store and also at the checkout line, he is there with his ever so friendly, “Hi, how are you?” And I think he really means it.
We were at an antique mall at the coast a while back, and as we turned the corner a gentleman walks by and my guy says, “Look, my friend! Hi, how are you?” And the other day sitting in his shopping cart he sees some one walking his way and he got the biggest grin and said, “Hi, friend.” It was as if he had just seen a close friend and the joy was pouring out of him. The thing is, I’d never seen that guy before in my life, and unless my son is sneaking out of the house and cruising the town at night, he has never either. My boy is just friendly and outgoing.
Who knew two introverts could produce such a strong extrovert. Yes, my wife and I are introverts. Most people can easily tell with me. My shyness is often mistaken for being standoffish. My need for solitude can be misdiagnosed as self absorbed and uncaring. One person had noted that I “keep my cards so close to my chest, that I don’t even know what they are”. My wife is less introverted than me, but she is. She has learned how to be in a crowd and be friendly, but her nature is still that of introversion. And we have the personality tests to prove it. Yes, we are both INFJ’s. I’m not sure how my boy would test, but the first letter is sure to be a big old E.
There are, I believe, a few reasons for my “never met a stranger” son. One is, well, he’s three. And when one is little like that, there seems to be this innocent freedom and an unawareness of danger. I recognize the issue here as this world is a scary place and not all people are good and kind. More about this later. This brings me to another factor of his outgoing friendly attitude. He has a good environment in which to grow. I am especially speaking about the church we attend.
I have mentioned before that he really likes church. When we arrive, he will make a beeline to his favorite person, the Sunday school clerk, Miss F., and give her a great big hug. And now he seems to have added “Hi grandma,” to his vocabulary. He will proceed to call the other ladies there, who seem to fit that description, in his mind, “grandma” as well. There is, in no particular order, grandma F., grandma L, grandma N., grandma M., grandma R., etc. I am sure it is easy being so friendly and outgoing when you have so many great grandmas in your life.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that, even though my little I. has so many grandmas, he has only one, and only ever one “Nana”. She is my wife’s mom and my guy thinks the world of her. And his “Papa”. He enjoys talking on the phone with them. And when we visit, my guy is in play “heaven”. There is the “run down the hall and yell” game, the “go fish” game, and the “hide and jump out of a room to startle game”. I am not sure who loves these games the most.
So, with his personality, age, and environment all factors for his expressive extroversion, we try to encourage him to grow in his “no stranger” policy. It is a shame, however, that we will have to share and teach him that he also needs to be careful and discern good situations from bad situations. This is the nature of the world. But, I do not want to squelch that which clearly seems to be a quality or attribute given to him by God.
I want him to be friendly. I want him to be nice. I want him to think the best in people. I want him to be hospitable.
We live in a world where fear, uncertainty, hatred, and loneliness are the prevalent attitudes of the time. What better way to extinguish them, than with a hearty and well meaning, “Hi, how are you?” What better way to show and share the love of Jesus than being truly welcoming and bighearted? We must never “neglect to show hospitality to strangers”. Who knows whom we might have entertained?
My son never met a stranger.
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