The quality of youth

Our group's meeting last night was centered on fun...The youth have all worked so hard this summer, that we decided it was time we just spent some quality time together. I left it up to one of them to decide what we were going to do - and choose he did. Although the group was smaller than usual, there were still 10 of us sitting around a dinner table at a local Chinese place.
One of the surprising things to me was that he chose something 'normal', a local place that they'd all eaten at before. It wasn't anything fancy, although it was nice enough. And dinner - what a great way to connect with one another in a way that is completely non-threatening to everyone in the group, and that allows for equal air-time for all!
I lost count of how many times the youth asked me if they really didn't have to pay. I assured them they didn't - they'd worked hard enough and saved enough money that the group's money would pay for dinner - I'd made sure of that. And they all asked "Is it ok if I order this" or "Will it be too much if I order that"? It was quite endearing.
The most endearing thing, however, was when each of them, when they needed to be excused from the table, asked me whether they could be excused. Who said today's youth don't have any manners?! I was kind of shocked the first time, but by the end of the night it became a joke, when even I asked to be excused.
Coming back from the ladies room, I could hear them all laughing and joking across the restaurant. And I noticed that no one seemed to mind. When I returned to the table, they all pretended to be talking about something I wasn't allowed to hear about. Ha! As if!
What a great feeling - to be out and about with them, with them being completely engaging and interacting with one another, regardless of who was better friends with whom.
These are the qualities I'm grateful for, and for which I'll take them out on my own dime anytime! :)