Just another trip to the Atlanta Airport,
as usual the plane would be an hour late,
so I went for coffee,
got a table and people watched,
something I love doing.
So many people,
going to so many places,
some rushing,
others dragging by ever so slowly
forcing others to rush by them,
military men and women,
people clapping for them as they march by,
and just a lot of noise,
commotion,
excitement,
so much life,
an ocean of it with its ebbs and tides,
planes dropping people off
coming into the main terminal
and then off again in their cars,
then another wave
and another.
As I sat in a daze of sorts
awash in the colorful display passing by,
I looked down to my left
at the next table
and saw a small child of about 4 years of age
solemnly looking up at me.
Hmmmmm I thought,
she thinks I am Santa Claus,
and Christmas is months away,
well for children perhaps everyday is Christmas.
So I looked up and see her parents watching,
smiling actually,
so I played along and made eye contact with her,
saying:
“so little girl have you been good this year(?)”,
her eyes got wider
and she very slowly nodded yes.
Meanwhile her parents where trying not to laugh,
though they were really loving the drama before them,
so again I take a sip of coffee,
smiled at her
saying:
“have you listened to your parents this year”.
Well
This time it took a little longer for her to answer,
she look down,
to the left
and to the right,
pressed her lips together
and nodded,
but not so strongly this time.
I took another sip of coffee,
looked back down
smiled
and said that I am sure she will do better
obeying her parents
and I will see her at Christmas.
The parents laughed,
clapped,
got their little girl
and rushed off;
I suppose to meet someone.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Holy Spirit Monastery
