I was picking my daughter up from school the other day and as we made our way to the corner… two cows from the Chik-fil-A chain stumbled out from the Chik-fil-A vehicle and onto the sidewalk in front of us. Needless to say, my son (who at this stage, really doesn’t like to be strapped into anything) stopped wiggling in the stroller and stared in wonderment at the black and white beasts that approached us. As they neared, I noticed that their walk was kind of limited, which made me laugh… they looked like they had the mobility of a tree – stiff and fumbling. But they’re pace was purposely slow as to not scare any of the hundred children getting on buses behind us.
Anyway, as one of the cows got closer, it held out a hand toward my boy and almost without hesitation, my son reached as far as he could just to touch it. It sounds funny, but watching my son do that simple thing showed me that he calculated the situation and wasn’t afraid… not in the least. I mean, how many cows walking down the street does one ever see?
When the two hands connected, my son let out this little ‘erp’ sound. I suppose you can attribute it to a sound of excitement. I sure did. I watched his face beam as he looked up toward the sky just trying to get a glimpse of its face and when he did, he let out another ‘erp’ noise and then he began talking with it. The cow nodded and tilted it head from one side to the other. It shrugged it shoulders and leaned back a bit while placing its other hand on its stomach, indicating laughter. All the while, my son was babbling on and on and on.
But while I enjoyed the moment, it was time to continue home. I thanked the cow for allowing the brief moment for my son to smile broadly and indulge in a somewhat comedic conversation then started the walk home. However, my son wanted to see it still, so I turned the stroller around and walked backwards so that he could wave at it.
I know the simplicity of it all as most people would, but my son didn’t. To him, it was magical… he saw something he’d never seen before. He touched it and talked with it and it understood him and may have even laughed at his joke! And in a world full of bad news and bad economies… I suppose it was just as magical for me.
Anyway, as one of the cows got closer, it held out a hand toward my boy and almost without hesitation, my son reached as far as he could just to touch it. It sounds funny, but watching my son do that simple thing showed me that he calculated the situation and wasn’t afraid… not in the least. I mean, how many cows walking down the street does one ever see?
When the two hands connected, my son let out this little ‘erp’ sound. I suppose you can attribute it to a sound of excitement. I sure did. I watched his face beam as he looked up toward the sky just trying to get a glimpse of its face and when he did, he let out another ‘erp’ noise and then he began talking with it. The cow nodded and tilted it head from one side to the other. It shrugged it shoulders and leaned back a bit while placing its other hand on its stomach, indicating laughter. All the while, my son was babbling on and on and on.
But while I enjoyed the moment, it was time to continue home. I thanked the cow for allowing the brief moment for my son to smile broadly and indulge in a somewhat comedic conversation then started the walk home. However, my son wanted to see it still, so I turned the stroller around and walked backwards so that he could wave at it.
I know the simplicity of it all as most people would, but my son didn’t. To him, it was magical… he saw something he’d never seen before. He touched it and talked with it and it understood him and may have even laughed at his joke! And in a world full of bad news and bad economies… I suppose it was just as magical for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment