We were sitting in Sunday School today in a room where the rows of seats were curved a bit, giving the ends a clear view of each other. We were to one side; her parents came in and sat down at the other end, a young mom and dad with a fussy fifteen-month-old in their arms, a good-natured kid, but, naptime is naptime.
They got her quieted down but not especially happy; a cracker and a little milk from her sippy cup helped somewhat. The mom looked tired.
And then–that little girl saw me. She got the biggest grin on her face, spread her whole hand as wide open as she could, leaned her whole body towards me from far across the room while making the grandest wave hi a wannabe grandma could ever hope to see, in a burst of new energy. Me! It’s me, lady! Remember that fingerpuppet you gave me a month or two ago? Remember smiling at me? You’re my FRIEND!
The back row was soon looking both ways, quietly chuckling, catching the wave too; baby smiles are so marvelously contagious.
Hey, almost out in there… I replenished my supply in my purse when we got home. And now you see why I give out those Peruvian fingerpuppets to fussy little ones: it’s for me. I tell you, it is totally, selfishly, for me.