Marcinkonys

It was the summer and instead of spending my day basking in the beautiful, Lithuanian sun or roaming the fields barefoot, I was cooped inside finishing summer assignments. I recently met my next door neighbor, a lonely four-year-old boy named Vinca, who had no siblings, cousins, or kids his age to play with. 

That morning, while I was eating breakfast outside, he shyly asked if I could play soccer with him. I knelt down to his level and told him I couldn’t because I had “big girl” work to do. A wave of guilt rushed over in my heart as he turned his back and walked away from me. 

I hadn’t done anything wrong though. I was thinking logically. Spending the day playing with him would mean I wouldn’t get my assignments done. It would mean risking missing the deadline or submitting mediocre work. My mind went through all the possible negative outcomes, and decided it was best to do what I needed to do and not think of the boy. He could find someone else to play with. 

After working for a couple hours, my aunt came inside and told me that Vinca had been patiently waiting for hours outside of our door, with freshly picked flowers in hand, asking her where the nice young girl had gone. I felt so guilty. I had completely abandoned this boy to wallow in his sadness. Even though I’d overheard him telling his grandmother how lonely he was and saw him secretly peeking through the window trying to catch a glimpse of me, I only focused on what I needed. I surrendered to my self-serving mind, and ignored his cries all day. 

Was making the deadline and submitting my best work worth the tears this boy would shed? Was a good grade worth Vinca remembering this summer as the one when no one wanted to play with him? Was my happiness the only thing that mattered? I remembered how I’d been raised to put others before myself, despite the inconveniences. One small sacrifice on my part could mean the world to someone. Someone’s joy is more important than my obligations will ever be. 

So remembering that, I closed my laptop, went outside, and greeted Vinca with a soccer ball in hand. A huge smile spread across his face as he gave me the flowers he had picked. While racing cars, hunting for the evil witch, and playing soccer with Vinca, I was reminded of the true priorities in my life. This little boy reminded me that I should always try to be a friend for the lonely, a shoulder to cry on, and unconditionally love for those who need it the most. He made me realize I should spend the rest of my life following my heart over my head.