people watching

i was people watching.

enjoyin' all the different ways people were dressed and the personas they had on....

there were such vast differences.

all were intriguing me.

from the heels so high i wondered how the women navigated with them on
to the sweat pants and sneakers,
to the wild and flowery dresses.
each person carried a certain presence about them.

some happier than others.
chattering with a friend,
conducting business on a cell phone,
walking and concentrating on not falling off their heels,
it was a wide range.

and then i saw her.
she had just parked and was walking around her car to get her son out of the back.
the driver who had just pulled up didn't realize this.
he thought she was just walking to the sidewalk so he paused and didn't pull in
as to allow her time to get to the sidewalk.
only that's not where she was goin'.

she went around the car, smiled, tried to push herself close to the car, out of his way,
but then went and opened her car door pretty wide.
there was no way he could pull in now.
i grinned watching.

a car pulled up behind the one who was waiting to pull in.
now we're two cars thick waiting.
i wondered if anyone was getting cranky.
it takes so little to set people off when they're in their cars.
god forbid you slow someone down.

i kept watching.

she pulled her son out of the back,
kept him in her arms and smiled big time at the driver waiting.
it was a bright, brilliant happy, 'isn't life wonderful?' smile.
the thought crossed my mind that there was no way he could be cranky after seeing that.

then she went to cross the street.
she got in the second car's way. and smiled and waved and crossed the street,
only to make another car wait.
and then another person on foot detoured around her.
thru every bit of it, the woman beamed her smile at everyone.

i could just feel the whole area melting with her warmth.

as they got closer i saw the boy.
he had the same brilliant beautiful smile.
wow.
how awesome!
he had her light!

she got to my side of the street and set the boy down.
they laughed together and grabbed hands.
they didn't just walk. they kinda bounced.

i sat at the window, and my smile grew bigger and bigger.
by the time she passed where i was sitting, she caught sight of me smiling at her.
and sure enough, she beamed that smile of hers right at me.
the little boy never noticed, he was eagerly looking at something ahead of him.

they passed,
but their warmth stayed.

i sat there thinking about that.
she has absolutely no idea how she caught my eye just then.
and i don't think she has any idea how she spread light everywhere she went that morning.
i don't think you can spread it like that and know it.
i think that's part of it. you just ARE the light.

that's the thing, isn't it?
it's just our being that touches those around us.
and affects how those around us interact with us.
just our being.

so.
how the heck are we gonna be?

such an easy question, huh?

and yet, she was the only light like that i saw walking down the street.

carryin' her and her little boy in my pocket today and beamin' light lit by their very presence.