The Kid Who Shared His Fried Chicken

Another small thing happened during the YLS that somehow stayed in my mind.

This kid, Maki, came to me and said hi while eating a piece of fried chicken.

It wasn't even a huge piece of chicken. It was relatively small, probably just enough for him to enjoy.

While he was eating, I jokingly stretched my hand toward him like I was begging for some.

At first, he misunderstood me.

He thought I was asking for a high five. Hahaha.

But within a split second, he realized:

And without hesitation, he switched hands, broke almost half of his fried chicken, and handed it to me.

I was like...

What a kind kid.

I genuinely didn't expect him to give me that much. I was just joking around and pretending to beg, yet this kid was willing to give almost half of what he had.

So, of course, I became curious.

I asked him why he gave it to me.

And his answer was so simple:

That's it.

No complicated philosophy.

No expectation that I would give him something in return.

He saw someone asking for something he had, and his immediate reaction was to share.

Man.

I don't know why, but those tiny moments really hit me.

Kids can sometimes be extremely protective of their food.

And honestly, adults are too.

Hahaha.

And there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. You don't have to give away everything you have.

But seeing a kid voluntarily break almost half of the little food he had and give it to someone else was impressive to me.

There was something innocent about it.

He didn't calculate whether I deserved it.

He didn't ask what he would receive afterward.

He simply shared because someone asked.

I hope that part of him survives growing up.

Because as we become adults, we start calculating everything.

Money.

Time.

Food.

Favors.

Relationships.

And sometimes those calculations are necessary. We need boundaries. We need to protect ourselves from people who take advantage of kindness.

But I hope we don't calculate everything.

Sometimes it's just nice to give.

I've experienced this repeatedly throughout my life.

Someone gives me a ride home.

Someone gives me food.

Someone spends time talking with me.

Someone helps me without asking for payment.

Someone gives more than what I expected.

And every time it happens, I remember it.

Sometimes the person who did it probably forgets about it immediately.

For them, it might have been nothing.

But for the person receiving it, that tiny gesture can stay in their memory for years.

That's why moments like what Maki did make me want to be kinder too.

Kindness is strangely contagious.

Someone does something good to you.

You feel good.

Then somewhere in your mind, you want another person to experience the same feeling.

Then maybe that person does it to someone else.

And it keeps moving.

Of course, I don't know whether other people would appreciate that little piece of fried chicken as much as I did.

Maybe someone else would've eaten it and forgotten about it five minutes later.

But I noticed it.

And I appreciated it.

Not because of the chicken itself.

But because of how naturally he was willing to share something that was his.

I hope Maki grows up and keeps that part of himself.

Kind, but not easily exploited.

Generous, but still capable of protecting himself.

Willing to share, but knowing his boundaries.

Because the world will eventually teach him to be more careful.

I just hope it doesn't teach him to stop being kind.

Thanks for the chicken, Maki.

Hahaha.