YMCA Encounters

{Sorry about the facebook rant, but it's just really hard to feel so isolated. The irony is that I have over 200 "friends" on that social networking site and I can count on one hand how many really understand the pain of losing a child. Or at least that is about how many have reached out with empathy. There may be hidden mourners out there...}

On to the reason for this post...
I just got back home from Zumba. There's a story involved...

As I was waiting for the instructor to set up the music, I saw a woman struggling to get her (about 3-year-old) son to put his jacket on. He was rolling around on the floor and wouldn't budge. He didn't want to leave the gym and she wasn't able to move him herself because she was holding a baby-- perhaps 6 months old. I walked over and offered to help with putting her son's coat on out of instinct.

But then... then... the stranger asked if I could just hold her (baby) daughter while she worked on getting her little boy to cooperate.

Without thinking, I grabbed the little girl and held her in my arms while the mother put on the boy's coat (unsuccessfully) and grabbed her daughter's coat. I put the beautiful white coat on her little body as she stared, wide-eyed and completely at peace into my eyes.

It felt so natural. I crave. I crave.