If the clothes we wear and the food we eat
are not as good as what others have,
do not feel sad.
No one knew how it happened. Some thought it was because his mother loved to go to the museum and look at all the beautifully colored paintings. Others thought it was because his father loved to read science fiction. Still others quietly said it must have been a gene from a long-forgotten ancestor.
But whatever the reason, Larslin was not your usual Asagee. His parents tried to hide their shock when he was born. But since Asagee are very aware of the feelings of others, Larslin knew something was wrong. He just didn’t know what it was.
At least not until he wobbled over to the stream to take a drink and saw his reflection. He saw he was a lovely warm orange, just like his parents. But as Larslin’s eyes focused and he looked more carefully, he saw a bright blue spot just above his nose. As he bent closer for a better look, he saw another blue spot near the top of his head! And then he saw there were more on his legs.
Larslin blinked and then looked up at his parents. No, they didn’t have any blue spots. And from the look in their eyes, Larslin began to feel that he shouldn’t have any either. His mother came to him and licked his face. Then his father came as well and stood awkwardly by. Larslin looked more closely at them. Not even one blue hair between them.
Larslin told himself that maybe newborns had blue spots but lost them as they grew up. He consoled himself with this thought for a few days.
Then his cousins came to visit.
They were the same age as Larslin, but not one of them had even the tiniest blue spot. Since adult Asagee are known for their good manners, Larslin’s aunts and uncles managed to hide their emotions. But his cousins were young and like most children everywhere they didn’t have the best of manners. Having been warned by their parents, they tried not to laugh. But it was more than they could manage.
One by one they started giggling. And before anyone could stop them, they were laughing out loud at Larslin. He tried very hard to be brave and to not embarrass his parents. But a tear rolled down his cheek. Then another. And soon, with all his cousins laughing at him, he burst into tears.
Larslin ran off into the tall grass and threw himself down in it. Even though his aunts and uncles hushed his cousins, their laughter still rang in his ears.
Larslin began to think that maybe his spots would never go away. But it wasn’t his fault. He’d been born this way! What if maybe, just maybe, he would be different for the rest of his life. His sadness was more than he could bear. He tucked his head between his front legs and sobbed as though his heart was broken.
He was so miserable that he didn't hear his parents approach. It wasn’t until his mother nuzzled him with her nose and licked his face that he realized they were there.
But this time there was no shock in their eyes.
Only love.
Larslin couldn’t see this at first because his own eyes were filled with tears. But he felt their love.
And it was wonderful.
Gradually, he stopped crying. His mother was now lying in the grass in front of him. His father was standing over them both, as if trying to protect his son from ever being hurt again.
His mother looked at him and said, “Larslin, we want to be very honest with you. When you were born, we were shocked because we had never seen any of our kind who looked like you. We didn’t know what to do so we consulted the elders. They searched their books, but could not find any record of an Asagee with blue spots.”
Tears began to well up again in Larslin’s eyes.
His father cleared his throat. “Son, those who are different have two choices. They can allow the laughter of others to cause them to be sad. Or they can realize that all animals are different in some way. Some animals are unusually short while others are fat. Others are not very bright. Some are not as athletic as others of their kind.”
His mother continued. “Whether you are happy or sad depends on what you tell yourself. The elders declared that you are very special. But your father and I already knew that. At first we didn’t know what to think. Then we realized that the way you look doesn't matter. Who you are is what is important. Please know that we love you.” She smiled, “And your blue spots.”
His father concluded, “There will always be some who laugh at you. You can feel sad or you can understand. We are all different in some way. Some more noticeably than others. But son, being different does not mean that one is inferior.”
Larslin understood. As he stood up, his mother also rose. Along with his father, they went back to the aunts, uncles, and cousins. But now Larslin walked proudly. Yes, he was different. But his parents loved him no matter how he looked.
His cousins apologized for their laughter. They shyly came over to look more closely at Larslin. Up close, they realized the blue spots were actually very beautiful.
As Larslin grew up, he became famous. But not because of his blue spots. Larslin became famous—and loved—for his kindness and for his willingness to befriend all those who were laughed at because they were different.
September 2, 2009