I Don't Have Crooked Legs
by
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Kit Kat walked over close to mom and whispered in her ear, “Mom, do I have crooked legs?”
Her mother nuzzled her little face as to lift it to look at her straight in the eyes.
“Baby girl, look at me. What do you see?”
“I see the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen. I see the person who loves me more than anyone. I see my mom.”
“Kit Kat, do you see anything wrong with me?”
“Wrong with you? Of course not; you are so beautiful. I hope I can grow up and be big and strong like you someday.”
Kit Kat’s mom turned her head to the left, so that her baby could only see the right side of her face, “Look at my eye, baby girl. You see it? Does it look ok to you?”
“Yes, mom, it’s beautiful and brown.”
“Now look in my other eye.”
Mom turned her head to the right, so she could see only her left eye.
“Oh no, mom, your eye is…..is….it’s….”
“Yes, baby girl, it’s not beautiful and brown. It’s cloudy and not very pretty, is it? Your mommy is blind in one eye.”
Kit Kat was stunned into silence. She stared at her mommy’s eyes; first, the right one – beautiful and brown; then, the left one – cloudy and not so beautiful. She had two eyes, but with all the times she had admired her mom, she had never noticed they were different.
“You’ve looked at mommy before, right? Why didn’t you notice my eye, then?”
“Because, because I love you and I wasn’t looking for anything wrong. I was just looking at someone I love.”
Kit Kat slumped down into a pile in the golden yellow fluffy stuff and mom moved over to her and kissed her head.
“Baby girl, when I see you. I don’t see crooked legs. I see four legs and that means you have all of them you are supposed to have. I don’t look to see if your body is shaped perfectly, I listen to hear your heartbeat inside that body and know that you’ll grow to be a healthy young lady someday. I don’t look to see if your eyes are brown and beautiful, I look to see that you have two of them cause that’s how many you need to see perfectly. Because of love, I see all of your perfection through my imperfection.”
Mommy kissed her again on the ears and continued,
“You see, when someone loves you, they don’t look for the faults in you; they don’t make a list of all your faults; and they certainly don’t laugh and make fun of you.”
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About the Book
I Don’t Have Crooked Legs tells the story of a beautiful young filly named Kit Kat, born on a wonderful place called Unwanted Farms. Everything appears to be fine until one day two other babies laugh at her, and she hears them say she has crooked legs. Their laughter and those words, “crooked legs,” leave her wanting to hide from everyone. Her mom, Cookie, shows her own imperfection to Kit Kat and sends her off on a journey of self discovery and acceptance. In her conversations with other animals on the farm, Kit Kat learns that she is very special, that she can overcome bullying, and that other people don’t determine her value.
I Don’t Have Crooked Legs offers lessons we all need to learn.
About the Author
Christopher L. Johnson, JD, was born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana. He graduated from a Baptist liberal arts college with degrees in pre-law, business and theology. He then graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law. After practicing law for more than ten years in Indiana, he resigned and became the legal advisor to the superintendent of the state’s largest prison. He served as professor and program chair of criminal justice and business at the post-secondary level. He then developed and taught Criminal Justice at Kokomo High School in Kokomo, Indiana. He travels and speaks about the importance of taking snapshots of the moments in life as a way of reflecting on our own lives.
He is the author of the book, Looking: A Soul’s Journey. His daily postings can be read at LivExceptionally.com, and he is available for speaking engagements.