The Prettiest Girl


You know how there are those memories that just stick in your brain for years and years?  This is one of mine.  It was an unexpected small but powerful event whose impact was felt then, and whose lessons remain even now.

Let me tell you.

It was nearly 25 years ago that our blended family visited a local restaurant in Pickering for my young daughter’s 5th birthday.  As with many of these venues, they sang her a song when bringing out dessert.  In her case, it was to the tune of Camptown Races, and the lyrics went like this: 
Who’s the prettiest girl in town? You are, you are!
Who’s the prettiest girl in town?  We all think it’s you!
We all think it’s you, we all think it’s you!
Who’s the prettiest girl in town? We all think it’s you.

little girl illustration - Поиск в Google | Happy cartoon, Little ...It’s not hard to imagine how a tiny pretty 5-year old girl would respond to this song.  She just sat there and GLOWED.  At last, this was HER song.  For months afterwards, she walked around the house singing:
Who’s the prettiest girl in town? Meeeee!
Who’s the prettiest girl in town?  Meeeee!

It was funny, and cute, and one of those adorable parenting moments. 

We went back to that restaurant again a few months later.  Our large family was seated, and ordered drinks from the friendly waitress.  My daughter was – and is – an engaging person and so the waitress particularly noticed this cute little girl. 

And then, as we sat there waiting for our drinks, it happened.  There was the sound of clapping, and a group of voices came from the kitchen.  They were singing.  They were singing: 
Who’s the prettiest girl in town? You are, you are!

My daughter sat up straight and waited for them to come to her.  After all, this was HER song.  They must have realized she was here! 

The singers walked past our table and stopped at – gasp – another table, and sang the song to another girl.  She was crushed.  How could someone else be the prettiest girl in town?  She was!  So, she did what any reasonable five-year old would do.  She burst into tears, and crawled under the table.

Cute Little Girl Sobbing In Blue Dress Royalty Free Cliparts ...Nothing I said could draw her out.  Not her stepdad, or her brothers, or even her beloved stepsister.  She just sat there and sobbed.  Life was over.

Our waitress came back to the table a few minutes later with our drinks, and asked “Where’s your little girl?”  I explained the situation, and this young woman then earned my deepest admiration.  She crawled under the table, sat there with my five-year-old daughter, and sang her the song, just for her.

The waitress came back out from under the table, leading my daughter by the hand.  With tear-marks still on her little face, she was beaming.  She was, once again, the prettiest girl in town.

Black Kitten And Cute Little Girl With Yellow Umbrella Stock ...Sadly, that restaurant closed shortly after our visit, and I didn’t get to see that exceptional young woman again.  But she’s still there, in my memory.  I can still see her crawling under the table to encourage and inspire a little girl.  Just because she could, without any obligation. 

The biggest lesson from this one?  It should be easy.  We all have the opportunity to be kind, to help, to listen, to make someone’s day.  Sometimes, it really is the little things that make the biggest difference.  That young woman may not have realized how great her impact would be all these years later … but I certainly do.



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