Last fall, right before Thanksgiving, I fell for no good reason.

I scraped my hands and knees skidding down pavement like I was 5 again. I almost forgot what it felt like to fall like that, and since I’m no longer 5, it took longer to get back up.

The best part of it all, however, was when a group of amazing children who were playing in masks ran up to me to see if I was okay. They didn’t want me to cry. They said it’s okay, everyone falls.

They coaxed me to get up, to wash off the blood, to brush myself off, to drink water, to rest a little, and soon enough, I would be fine. I imagined they had heard that advice from someone many times before. It’s great advice.

When I finally got up to leave, one of the kids returned to ask me and my adult if I was feeling better. I could hear the big smile in her voice and her bushy, curly hair. She said when you fall, you gotta brush yourself off and eventually you get back up.

I was so impressed with her intelligence and empathy, and I hope the world doesn’t make her lose her kindness.