Something beautiful happened while I was on the train today.
Our train had been stopped for a good twenty minutes by a passing freight train. With our stop in sight, my friend and I (including many of our fellow passengers), had gotten up to stand by the doors only to get trapped for the duration of our stop. Others pounced on our open seats, and many of these eager-to-exit passengers were members of two families with very young children. One such mother was sitting in the single seat across from the restroom trying to corral a very active and curious 1.5 year old. After waiting far too long to exit the train, the child began to cry. The mother tried to distract him with little toys, but he was very fussy. With each passing moment, she became more flustered and apologized to her fellow passengers. (I don't even like children, generally, but this child was hardly a nuisance. The woman was very over-concerned haha.) As the child grew more and more restless, he moved off the seat and sat on the floor, right next to the little divider that blocked off the walkway to the exit. An overweight man in his twenties with a scruffy black beard, a black hooded sweat shirt, and sizable ear gauges, who had been disengaged from the proceedings up to this point, took the opportunity to crouch behind the barrier and lightly knock. He quickly straightened back up, pretending like he'd done nothing.
It quickly became a game for the child. He stared at the barrier, wide-eyed, and knocked softly back. The stranger suppressed a smile and knocked again, this time waving his hand around the corner. Again, he straightened up and assumed the disengaged frown that he'd been wearing for the duration of the ride. The child made happy cooing sounds, delighting in his new game. I caught the stranger's eye just as a huge smile spread across his face. He crouched down a third time, and with a wide-eyed grin, peeked around the barrier and made "peek-a-boo" hand motions. The child let out a screech of elated giggles the way only 1.5-year-olds can do. The train started moving shortly after. My eyes misted over. I leaned over to my friend and said, "I'm totally blogging about this."
I didn't find out about the Newtown shooting until I got home. In light of the tragedy, the small act of kindness that I witnessed today meant so much more.
My heart goes out to the victims of this tragedy.
I love moments like the one you saw on the train. They're like little lights at the end of tunnels reminding you that there is still hope in this world, despite all of the horrible things that may happen. To quote Hank Green, "I'm just trying to remember that the world is a good place and that the number of hugs per gunshot victim is very very high."
ReplyDeleteHi Abby it's Colin! I think that what happened on the train was one of those things that happen out of nowhere that lifts something off your shoulders and in that moment you feel happy and mistyeyed! what a beautiful moment. as for the shooting in newtown, i did not hear about till after i got home as well. so evil and sick it was. i feel so sorry for those poor mothers and fathers an all of the other family and friends that were hurt through te experience. so sad.
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