What’s Wrong with This Picture?

It’s a warm, sunny day in the San
Francisco Bay Area as I walk in a nearby neighborhood park. Two young boys, about
18 months and 2 years old, lean against a light pole as they quietly look around
at the peaceful, grassy landscape.

As I come near, the older boy slightly
loses his balance and leans into the smaller child; and they tumble gently to
the grass, one on top of the other. I hear one of the nearby moms say a
troubled, “Oh!”

I hesitate a moment to see how the
boys will respond. They indicate no signs of distress or concern, seeming more
curious and fascinated by their experience. They pull themselves back up and
insert themselves against the pole once more, resuming looking around and hanging out.

I continue walking past the boys and
encouragingly tell them, “Good job! You've done a great job!” They  responded to
and handled this potentially unsettling incident easily.

As I walk a couple of steps further, I hear one of the moms say, “You boys, be careful.”

She couldn’t help herself. It seems
like the motherly thing to say.