A little girl waved at him. He didn’t wave back because she’s gay. His dad responded appropriately.

After refusing to wave to a classmate because she was gay, poet G. Yamazawa learned an important lesson in accepting others.

When G. Yamazawa told his dad that he didn’t want to wave to a classmate because she was gay, his father asked the simple question, “What does that even mean?” Springing from that interaction, Yamazawa was able to dig deep within himself, and learn to love others.

Like many of us, Yamazawa forgot one of the world’s most fundamental truths: Words have power. Our cracks become faults, and those faults set off powerful, painful earthquakes.


Growing up in a Buddhist household, Yamazawa found solace in the spoken word. He learned that good is the ultimate truth and that words and actions are the tools to attain that truth.

His revelation is one we should all hope to achieve. Rather than focusing on the differences and divides between one another, Yamazawa learned to praise humanity’s common ground. This lesson stemmed from that moment back in elementary school.

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