The Human Touch

This weekend on the official day 1 of summer, the mercury hit 100 degrees in our part of the world. We didn't have major plans, but a trip to the mall was due (Macy's had their one day sale...yes yet again!). So we finished our business at Macy's and paid Potterybarn a routine visit (for all the modern cleaned line look R and I prefer, it sometimes amazes me that I can spend so much time at PB!). Anyhoo, we browsed the clearance rack (lest I find some more pure silk drapes in the perfect size), didn't find anything and started to head out the store.

So we're stepping out but there's a lot of people walking right outside the store front (the corridor in between the stores on either side of the mall) and we're waiting to step into a gap.

A young girl/woman is walking by with a man...and she has her hand up as if she's waving to R and I standing right outside the store. I smiled back, R waved and said Hi!

The girl caught R's hand and stopped in her tracks. When she stopped one could tell something was not quite right with the girl, she didn't say anything but she leaned forward to peck R on his cheek. First one, then the other, while the guy she was accompanied by was trying to get her to let go. He seemed somewhat embarrassed, we were both watching this unfold. And that was not quite the end of it. She reached up and hugged R!! And she just would not let go...

She still didn't say anything, not sure if she could or knew how to. But you could tell she was not quite normal (and I hate saying that because she just might be free spirited and might be perfectly normal. Anyway, we don't see strangers doing things like this...so it was definitely out of the ordinary.)

So anyway, her friend finally managed to separate them, all R could do was wait until she was done sharing her affections. At some point I think I was moved to tears (no, not because an unknown girl was hugging my husband and you think I was upset) but more because this was something so simple and basic. The girl probably was happy that someone responded to her gesture and was being as goofy as she was. There was a childlike quality to her and she did what a little child looking for attention would do!

I will never forget her face. She's locked in my memory forever...

It's funny, I'm sure there will be a lot of sneaky comments on this one, but R was super embarrassed after the whole thing. He didn't know how that happened or why and when I told him about this post he was shaking his head in the most disapproving way!

Well honey, I did it anyway because to me it seemed like she was saying thanks for humoring her, for letting her be herself, goofy and silly. Most of all, it was like her saying thanks for not letting the child in you get lost! And that's the one quality I hope you never, ever lose.

Awww... :)