THE HUG

The hug kind of startled me.

I was visiting the park as part of my vacation experience. As I looked around, I saw a dad pushing his daughter on a swing. Nearby a grandma, daughter, and child laughed playing silly games.

I spotted Cody, alone, shooting hoops. I headed over to the court. “You play basketball pretty good,” I said. ”Hey, you’ve been watching me,” he responded.

We played a game of H.O.R.S.E. as we engaged in we’re-strangers conversation: “How old are you? Where do you live?” Then Cody looked up at me, “Do you drink?” What an unusual, disconnected question I thought.

Concerned because a stranger was talking to her son, Cody’s mom marched over from the log cabin across the street. She was sizing me up. I tried to alleviate her concerns by telling her I was a Christian, active in mentoring youth. And I quickly found out she was Cody’s foster mom.

It happened, unannounced without warning, as I focused on talking to Cody’s mom. He hugged me around my stomach as he briefly pressed his head against my body. He said, “I like you.” I instinctively responded, “I like you too.”

The Bible says: “Children are a gift from God, they are a real blessing.”

No one had to explain to me why he hugged me; no one had to explain to me why he asked if I drank. Now it adds up.

“Children are a gift from God . . .

What is hard for me to add up is the climbing statistics that over half a million children in the U.S. live in foster care.

“Children are a gift . . .

“I’ve got to leave,” I told Cody. “No, don’t leave,” he pleaded.

Wow, this is hard. “Children are . . .