Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I'm attuned to little kids and babies

Never in a million years would I have described me as clucky.  I'm basically not!  Children all have their place, and while I have never minded looking at them or admiring them, I just have not ever been the kind of person who wanted to hold them or do much more than just look!  (This statement is coming from a woman who had 3 beautiful daughters, and now has 3 georgous grandchildren--all of whom I have loved and cuddled and never thought a thing of it - they were mine to love!)

So, you can imagine my surprise when I have noticed my uncanny ability to attract the attention of children all around me. They smile and respond and laugh at me, and give me big honest smiles.

This all started about 2 years ago- I think I've witten about this before  the fact that a baby or young toddler would be travelling with their parent on an escalator, and I was behind them.  All of a sudden I would receive enormous grins and sometimes delightful laughter- out of nowhere!  Now as I am the first proponent of saftey and stranger danger (although in these cases I certainly wouldn't have classed me in those areas), I immediately try not to attract this child's attention--or if I do I make a comment to the parent about how wonderful their child is, and then wander off to do my shopping.

Well, this attention from these children is happening even more now.  I can be anywhere!  In a grocery store, a shopping centre, an escalator, an elevator, - anywhere--and these children turn to me, and sometimes try to reach out to hold my hand.  I am trying so hard to not respond to them or encourage them, as I am sure their parents would appreciate that, but sometimes it is so obvious, as they run screaming up to me, and grab my legs, that I have to respond!  Sometimes I just can't help myself!  They can be so cute!  I don't know why the attraction - perhaps it's my aura at the moment- whatever- I am starting to like it!

I now try to comment to the parents, and tell them my name, so that I'm not a stranger, and while I don't encourage these small children, even babies sometimes, I still get the grins and the laughter, and even the reaching out by these cherubs of small people.

One day, I was in the grocery store, in the ice-cream aisle with my little red basket, and it was very busy.. a little blond haired girl was walking with her Mum and Dad and singing, and saw me.  She just made a bee-line towards me and started to talk and dance all at once.  I laughed, and immediately told her parents how wonderful she was, and that I too had small grandchildren.  But this little girl wouldn't leave me.  She wanted to know what I was buying, so I put my basket on the floor, and she looked through it all, then turned to me with a very serious face, and said:

"You don't have any lollies, but those oranges look good!" 
"Thank you, darlin', I think they do too! Your Mummy and Daddy are waiting for you", I said, pointing to them.  She stopped and looked at them, and then hugged my legs. 

Kinda gets me sometimes!

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