Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Getting Stopped by Strangers

Note This was written on March 17, 2010.


When I have my baby girl out and about we almost always get stopped and asked questions. We get so many comments on her big eyes. Yesterday feeling adventurous I walked to our local food store. It was really nice out and it’s probably not even a mile to get there. Much easier to just push the stroller there than drive and either wrestle a shopping cart and the shopping cart cover or the stroller out of the trunk. So off we went and low and behold there were the buses. Every once in a while the buses are there when I am there. They bus in older folks who live in one of what seems like endless retirement communities around here. I dread seeing the busses because I know it means the food store will be full of older folks who are moving slowly and blocking the aisles to chit chat with their neighbors. Add to that stopping me and Lilia because they just have to talk to babies. That’s the other thing I noticed older people really love talking to her both men and women. So I begrudgingly walked into the store prepared for this. Praying that I could get everything I needed within the time she would be happy and not fussing.

So off we went and we didn’t make it through produce without getting stopped. By the time we landed in the spice aisle someone out right touched her and I cringed! At least it was just the bib this time and not her hands or face. She was only called a boy once also an improvement over our last excursion in the stroller. So I started thinking about it all the stopping and why people do it, especially older people. My daughter and these folks are at the precise opposite ends of the spectrum of life. Maybe that’s why they all love my little Lilia so much because she is new fresh life untainted by the pains of the world thus far. I find myself at times annoyed by being forced to slow down and chat politely with people I don’t know. I do it though. I noticed yesterday that many of them were shopping for one… you can tell by the contents of their carts… just the top part full of things for one person. I started thinking what a lonely life it must be to eat all your meals alone. I rarely eat a meal alone. People eating alone in restaurants always make me sad. So I decided this is one of those things I can be grateful for; being stopped because I have a baby. A beautiful baby who merely smiles and brings piles of joy to the people we have never before met. So if I have to stop to talk with some older woman about my baby I will because I can see the joy on her face looking at my Lilia. I know she will probably go home to a quiet house filled with only the noise of appliances and television and eat her meager dinner. God gave me this beautiful blessing that fills me with JOY why should I be selfish and keep her all to myself? I am going to share the joy! Thank you Lord for letting me be blessed by the sharing of JOY!

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