The unexpected
Yesterday I was sitting in downtown Bethesda with Rachel. We were playing together and giggling up a storm. I was having such an amazing time. I get endless pleasure from seeing this child smile. I’m not going to pretend that it’s all fun and easy, but that’s just the thing. A lot of the time this parenting this is absolutely exhausting, and involves rather unpleasant and smelly experiences. When it IS easy - like sitting on a park bench singing, dancing and giggling easy - that’s the time to relax and enjoy. No matter how fantastic she turns out to be, the days that she will love standing on my knees, balancing with her little hands wrapped around my pinkies and dancing as I sing to her are surely numbered. Meanwhile it’s pure heaven.
An added bonus is that, because Rachel is so smiling and friendly, people stop to admire her. When strangers tell me that Rachel is adorable and sweet, I feel like I’m doing a good job. Because this is truly the hardest job in the world it is infinitely satisfying to receive random and unprompted praise. It’s also really fun to see how much Rachel’s smile can light up someone else’s day. This part has nothing to do with me. I just feel like putting so much love and joy out there into the world can only create good kharmic energy for Rachel. Plus, it’s just cute!
So, I’m sitting on a bench on Bethesda Row goofing around with Rachel when two “women of a certain age” walk by. If I was forced to guess, I’d put them at about 70. This is Rachel’s target audience. Such women usually are parents and grandparents, and generally enjoy the pleasure that children bring - particularly if it’s from children to whom they have no diaper-changing responsibilities. Rachel saw them coming, and let out a coo and smile. I heard one of the women gasp. I expected to hear “what’s this precious little one’s name?”. Instead, I heard “Look! A new Apple store!”.