Kids Love Boxes

Last week I was walking through Andrea's with a small box in my hand. As a business that receives a lot of deliveries every day, we deal with large amounts of cardboard. Sometimes I'm just walking around carrying cardboard for no reason. We do our part though; we recycle. But its presence in the store is felt by everyone. Some have even suggested that the cardboard has its own personality. Like it's alive.

Anyway, I was walking through an aisle when this little girl, maybe five or six years old, asked me what I was carrying. I told her it was just a box. She asked me if she could have it. She had such a look of awe and amazement on her face that I couldn't very well say no. So, I gave it to her. Gee wiz, by her reaction, you would have thought I had just given her a dream house made of magic, rainbows, and chocolate.

Her mother smiled, and I was happy to bring a little joy into that young girl's life.

Today, I saw that same girl and her mother in the store again. As they were leaving, I said hello to the two of them and ask the little girl how the box was doing. "Oh, it's great," said the girl. "It's my friend, and we do everything together! I love my cardboard box, and I'll never let him go!"

It was pretty adorable. Her mother smiled, gave a chuckle, and shrugged her shoulders. I opened and held the door for them on their way out. The mother said thank you, and the little girl waived excitedly and said bye. I watched them get into their car. They were both smiling. They seemed like a happy family. And then I saw the box in the back window. I laughed to myself.

But suddenly, two hands sprouted from the sides of the box. And a mouth formed on the front. Then two big eyes. But these weren't happy eyes. They were terror-stricken. And as the car left the parking lot, the box mouthed some words in my direction. I'm not certain, but I think it said, "Help me."