A Mother's Story

[Debbie]

This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from their home.

The mother, relates:

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking.

Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there."

He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat, dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would be shoes.

His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose, it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled.

His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists.

"Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?"

Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man.
The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.

Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a boo!"

Nobody thought the old man was cute.

He was obviously drunk.

My husband and I were embarrassed.

We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door.

My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.
The old man sat poised between me and the door.

"Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed.

As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing.

As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up position.

Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.

Erik, in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.

The man's eyes closed and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes.

His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor-gently, so gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back.

No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck.

The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine.

He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby."

Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain.

I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.

With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car.

My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me."

I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment, a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.

I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not.

I felt it was God asking....

"Are you willing to share your son for a moment?", when He shared His for an eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."

Author Unknown

[just concerned]

I have been reading the posts in this forum for about an hour or so and this one made me cry, it is incredible. People can be so judgemental, and sometimes it takes, more often than not, a child to show us that we are passing judgement. Thanks for this story, it is a wonderful reminder.

Just concerned

[Debbie]

Hi Justconcerned

Isn't that the truth, children love so unconditionally, and are so truthful. I have to stop and think sometimes when I think I am beginning to judge someone without knowing them.

You take care.
Hugs
Debbie

[Sam4rehab]

THANQ, THRU MY TEARS, YOU HIT THE SPOT WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY. THANQ FOR SHARING IT WITH THE THE REST OF US
SAMXXX......A MUMMY TO NELL

[Debbie]

bumping

[SkyIsFalling42]

Sniff, sniff!! Oh that was so beautiful to read. Thank you BarbieDeb for bumping this up. The blindness we have at times can cripple our healing and spirituality.

[Bigdog]

I`ve got all these people in the cyber cafe looking at me as tears are rolling down my face. Wow.

[BabeGirl]

OMG! That really touchs the heart! babies and lil kids don't see color, diabilities,difference in sexes, if your rich or poor, they don't care if they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies just as long as they are gettin' loved and taken care of How come when they get older they do?

[Paulie]

WOW - that was awesome and she types through tears.
Thanks Deb.

[tweet2016]

I just wanted to say that I love this one and I want to always remember it...I will be back to read this more often and I think that I will add this to my journal so I can go back and read it whenever I want to..it really does make you think..thank you