Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Meaningful Moment
On the bus tonight, I saw an old lady. Her gray hair was pulled up in a bun. Gaps showed in her mouth where some of her teeth used to be. She had an air of being a little senile or otherwise out of it. Being "out of it" is par for the course the crowd who regularly rides the bus around here so, she didn't stand out.
A Hispanic woman was sitting next to her. A child, maybe about two, slept on the Hispanic woman's lap, his dark head resting against her chest.
The old woman leaned over and looked at him. She smiled.
"You're going to be a lawyer someday," I think she said.
Then, she smiled again, at the boy then his mother. "Or maybe," she went on, "a financial banker." She paused.
She concluded by saying, "Or maybe a pastor of a nice church." Then, she put her gnarled hand on the side of the Hispanic woman's face. "And grow up to take care of Momma."
Senile or not, she captured the frailty of our hopes and saw the potential in this child in a way many never will.
A Hispanic woman was sitting next to her. A child, maybe about two, slept on the Hispanic woman's lap, his dark head resting against her chest.
The old woman leaned over and looked at him. She smiled.
"You're going to be a lawyer someday," I think she said.
Then, she smiled again, at the boy then his mother. "Or maybe," she went on, "a financial banker." She paused.
She concluded by saying, "Or maybe a pastor of a nice church." Then, she put her gnarled hand on the side of the Hispanic woman's face. "And grow up to take care of Momma."
Senile or not, she captured the frailty of our hopes and saw the potential in this child in a way many never will.
// posted by Dean @ Tuesday, July 27, 2004 
