Everyone

Everyone you pass each day Was once a little child, Who listened to the rules or else Ignored them and ran wild. Who played with toys or dolls And sat in school and tried to learn, Who pushed to get ahead or, patient, Waited for his turn. Who dreamed of growing up to be Whatever was appealing And learned to deal, in her own way, With all that she was feeling. It’s easy to forget that all The people that we see Have reasons to explain the way That they turned out to be. It might be helpful then, to think, When praise or blame be sung, That this was well-established Back when each of us was young.