A Perfect Stranger
Posted by Kim on Sunday Apr 4, 2010 Under UncategorizedI’ve been noticing the most interesting thing about people (good and bad) since having Tru. It’s been a year of discovery for me and it crystallized this morning while at Kroger. It started in the parking lot and just got almost comical from there. I pulled Tru from the car and put him in the cart. I reached back in for my purse and when I turned around Tru was waving his hands around in the air. I looked to see what got his attention and saw the elderly couple parked beside us were greeting him and waving. They gave him a few more smiles as we walked across the lot. Three boys, probably on spring break, stopped at the door to let us go first. Inside the store, a man who appeared to be heading to the golf course stopped to say, “Hey little man. How are you today?” Tru looks at him. A woman pushing a cart by stops and says, “Hello baby. Aren’t you cute.” Tru looks at her. I reach to get juice and turn around and Tru is waving again, just about bouncing out the cart. Off in the distance a woman stocking a shelf is waving and smiling at Tru. She is saying something, but I can’t quite make it out. We wheel around and there’s a family in the produce section. The young girl, maybe 10 or 11, is yanking on her mother’s arm, pointing to us, and saying, “Mom, look at the baby.” At the checkout, the woman behind me chats with Tru while I unload my items. They are having quite a conversation. “How old are you? Are you walking yet? Do you want out of that cart? Oh, you can talk. My goodness. You’re a good boy.” The lady at the register wants in on it too, sharing her own questions and responses to Tru. It’s ridiculous. Every step we take. Every turn we make. Someone has something nice to say to us. Well, okay…to Tru. Being out with him is like being out with a celebrity and having the paparazzi in step. He attracts attention. I know it’s not him specifically, it’s the fact that he’s a baby and regardless of race, gender, or age…babies are a good thing. A perfect stranger takes time in their day, whatever they are doing, and they smile or they say hello. A perfect stranger is nice and pleasant. A perfect stranger shows a glimpse of joy and compassion. This overwhelms me because in this same year I’ve also experienced the exact opposite from people I know and love. A time when you think those who care will rally around and celebrate in your happiness, actually retreat and don’t acknowledge the beauty that has come into this world. Those who should be happy for you, become resentful. All the ups and downs. All the criticisms and judgments. All of it is worth it because of Tru. It’s been a year of discovery for me and luckily I spend a lot of time at Kroger.
