Jared gets random gifts from kids.

Kids are drawn to Jared. It’s adorable unless you are in direct competition with him. Which I am, therefore, not adorable. He’s everybody’s favorite uncle, favorite church guy, favorite random dude in a bookstore.

On that last one, yesterday Jared was in a used bookstore in the middle of nowhere when a little girl approached him. He told me he could tell she was very nervous but totally determined to talk to him.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh, hi!”

“Hi. I made this for you.” She handed him a picture with three stick figures.

“Oh, this is great. Who is this?”

“That’s me, Savannah.”

“Oh, and this?”

“That’s my daddy.”

“Very nice, and who’s this?”

“Oh, that’s just a man with a braid.”

Just a man with a braid people, hanging with her and her daddy. He told me he’s bringing the picture home with him today so I can see it for myself. I’m sure it will end up on the fridge where people will ask, “And who’s this one?”

Just a man with a braid.