I gained a bit of insight today.

We were walking past the checkout at the store this afternoon when we came upon a mom and her children, waiting in the checkout line.  

RELATED: A Simple Invitation Means the World To a Special Needs Parent

My daughter Chloe rolled by them in her wheelchair. I watched, as I often do, as the children noticed her. One girl about Chloe’s age smiled at her as we walked by. As soon as we had passed them, Chloe turned to me and said . . .

“She’s the first person to smile at me!” 

Let me say I know this isn’t true—that no one else has ever smiled at my child—but I also know Chloe frequently interprets children’s curious whispers and glances at her in her wheelchair as “staring.” I know because she tells me so.

RELATED: Teach Your Kids to Be Kind to Those Who Are Different from Them

So, I turned right back around and told that mom and her kids how that simple gesture made a difference in our day. 

I know it’s human nature to want to look when something is different from what you’re used to seeing. You won’t stop your kids from looking, but for those of you who have ever wondered how to handle a situation like this, a simple piece of advice to offer them is just “smile!”

That’s all.