A seven-year-old African American boy was sitting across from his white mom, just a few feet away from me, in a coffee shop. They were engaged in serious conversation. She was listening intently, completely present with him, as his hands animated his words. They faced each other directly, their eyes in constant contact.
At first, I simply appreciated seeing the blended color family being with each other. Then my attention shifted to how their eyes met…how the mother was so completely engaged with her son and his animated way of telling her a story. She was genuinely with him completely, her body posture suggesting she wanted to be exactly where she was.
I saw no age difference. I imagined what he or any child must feel like when an adult person, parent or not, is honestly present, and wants to be. She was not only listening, she was hearing him with her eyes as well. She cared about what he was saying. No hurry. No rushing. No busyness....just her presence in his world...and his presence in her world.
She even leaned forward a bit to be close to him. Their eyes never wandered from each other. I was reminded of how it feels to have someone slow down enough to just be there. The simple and sacred act of being together,
No comments:
Post a Comment