Moving Moments

 My cousin and I belong to a couple online swap sites.  They're a good way to pass along gently used kid or home items to others who may have a use for it.  We had a neighborhood garage sale in August and since then I have been attempting to purge the remaining items from the sale.  I posted a red knit sweater with a fire truck on the front that was Brady’s.  Immediately I received a response from a young woman that she was interested in purchasing it.  We exchanged dialogue for a bit and decided on a meeting spot.  Due to delays at work, I knew I wasn’t going to make our agreed time.  I messaged her and she was very understanding, friendly to talk to, and quite frankly the easiest person I have ever communicated with on one of these sights.  We agreed to meet at the same time and the same place the following day.

Fast forward to yesterday.  I parked my car at our public meeting spot and patiently wait for her to arrive.  Up pulls an old red vehicle.  I recognize the driver as the young woman I had been communicating with.  She steps out of her car and goes around to the back, opens the door, and unbuckles a little boy that I can only justify as being similar in age to my little Brady.  He’s dressed in a stained green t-shirt and a diaper.  His hair is a bit disheveled and he is crying heavy tears.  The young woman stays so calm and sways him back in forth in the parking lot trying to calm him down.  She mentions he hasn’t been feeling well.  I exchange small talk with her and make my attempt as a stranger to have the little boy smile.  A few minutes pass and I realize that all the while she is rocking her boy, she is fumbling through her wallet for my payment.  She apologizes and tells me that she intended to go inside and exchange her coins for bills, and then hands me $4 in quarters. 

 

I take the coins and tell her multiple times that it’s just fine.  I hand over the sweater to the woman, wish her well, and make one last attempt at making the little boy smile before I get back into my car.  I watch her buckle her son back in the vehicle.  He is still crying and she is still so calm and talking to him with a gentle voice.  All I see is strength in this woman as she gets into the car herself.

The next thing I know, I find myself getting out of my vehicle and walking over to her car to get her attention.  She rolls down her window with an inquisitive face.  I hand over the coins and she looks at me and immediately says no with shock on her face.  I tell her I want to and that it’s my gift to the sweet baby in the backseat.  She starts to tear up, I walk away, and then I cry when I get in my car.

 

I don’t know if our meeting had an impact on her day, but it had one on mine.  Sometimes I feel like God puts these little moments in our life for a reason…