There is something beautiful about the way toddlers interact. They speak in pure kindness and laughter which is, in my opinion, an international language of love. Yes, take that French, I think three-year-olds are on to something even more lovely than your romantic verbiage.

This afternoon I brought my girls to a play space. My girls and I were playing in the ball pit when I noticed this little boy watching us play from the corner. I waved at him and smiled. He smiled back.

Then it was off to play in the sandbox, which is more like a death trap. The “sand” is small wooden beads that hurt your feet when you walk across them even though they are supposed to be therapeutic. But I digress.

Well, this boy followed us. I could tell he wanted to play with us, so I asked him what his name was and handed him a bucket. He uttered something, but I didn’t understand it, which is typical of toddlers, so I smiled and introduced my daughter, Vivienne.

He started filling up buckets and pouring them out with my girls. My daughter was sharing a bucket with him, and they were filling it to the top when his mother came over, and he answered her in Spanish. That’s when I realized this sweet little boy didn’t speak English.

Well, that language barrier didn't matter one bit. This little boy became my practice for three kids. He hung out with us the entire time, and my daughter took him on as a new best friend. They were chasing each other around the play space, laughing big belly laughs, and pushing each other around in cars.

At an age where language is developing but still patchy at times, it’s beautiful to see how friendships evolve for toddlers. Friendships develop for them through gestures that demonstrate kindness and compassion. They develop through shared humor and play. We can learn something from toddlers. They lead with their hearts.

This sweet interaction served as a reminder that genuine kindness can be a language of its own.

A language, us adults should practice more.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId