Wisdom from the Mouth of Braylie

I don't know. I guess it's maybe 2 times in life (maybe three at best) that one encounters a child so genuinely intelligent and honest, that it is obvious that it will most definitely grow into being an exceptional adult. A little kid that possesses a spirit and personality so unique, that even as an adult, you are truly humbled just for knowing them. Well, the wunderkind in my life just happens to be a five year old girl named Braylie.

Like most exceptional children, Braylie is a painfully shy girl who hides behind Momma and won't even look you in the eye. Now, understand, that all goes right out the window once she gets to know you better. That's when she becomes the ten-foot-tall diva, unafraid to speak her mind. A little wonder who is always "in the moment", dying to share her thoughts with her closest allies. Yes, folks, Braylie blesses everyone she talks to with her innocent observations, tempered with quite a startlingly precocious, lightning-quick wit.

Take the following incident for example. When Momma picked her up from kindergarten the other day, she had her little cousin with her, who had red, clownish lipstick smeared all over her mouth. When Braylie looked at her, she made a puzzled face and asked her "What's that red stuff all over your mouth?"

"It's lipstick", replied her cousin.

"Well", said Braylie, "First off, you got too much on, and it looks terrible!"

"Braylie!", said her shocked and embarrassed mother, "That's not nice!"

"Well, I was just telling her the truth, Momma", she replied innocently. I could not stop laughing when Momma told me about the incident. No, she didn't say it to be mean. That's just Braylie; she just calls 'em as she sees 'em! She truly meant no harm. She just thought she was doing her cousin a favor!

Can you imagine this little firecracker at a funeral? Her granddaddy died a couple months back. Mom and Dad explained to her about her Papaw's passing, and that he was going to be cremated. Like a little forensics student, she just casually took it all in with child-like fascination as they explained to her that Papaw was in the urn beneath his picture at the wake.

Blissfully unprepared for this, my wife and I walk into the funeral home to pay our respects. The second Braylie noticed us, she jumped up, and ran towards us to give my wife a hug, after which she loudly exclaimed, right in front of the grieving family, "Hi, 'Krisha!!! Wanna see where the body's buried?"

Imagine how hard it was not to bust out laughing right in front of everyone at that funeral. Even her Mom had to run outside with us for just a minute. That was just so cute and funny, we couldn't help ourselves, but felt like we should leave out of respect for the bereaved. But DAMN, that was a riot!

As you see, it could be anytime, anywhere, that she dispenses forth with a "Braylie-ism". Take when we had a little birthday celebration at the local O'Charlies for my wife last month. As we engage in the usual birthday banter, I tease my easily-embarrassed wife that I was going to send a stripper to her job for her birthday, to which Braylie replies, without once looking up from her Chicken O'Tenders, "'Krisha would like that!" The whole table was in tears!

But her matchless spontaneity is only overshadowed by the biggest little heart a kid ever had. The most recent of many examples of this is when my wife had a particularly rough day where her feet were hurting worse than ever. After giving us our hugs before leaving, she runs back to my wife, giving her an extra hug, "because your feet hurt, and I want them to get better!"

Not too long ago, this little miracle caught double pneumonia. Many of you prayed for her, or otherwise gave her your support. Of course, I was scared, as were her parents. If anything EVER happened to this little powder keg of moxie, it would have left a giant hole in the hearts of everyone who's life she made just a little more amusing. Thanks to everyone who prayed for her, she pulled through.

In the end, however, she pulled through simply because she wanted to! Braylie's a tough little girl! There is strength and wisdom in this child that is very rare. It is so important that we all allow her to develop her beautiful little personality to it's fullest potential, because the world of the future will undoubtedly need more strong, determined, compassionate adults who have the guts to call 'em like they see 'em!