Water Planet

Monday, June 26, 2006

To Hold and Behold

Came across this little story in a book, found it pretty meaningful and thought i would share it here.
So this it how it goes:

Alice's twins were only six weeks old when she found herself in the waiting room of the radiology department at the local hospital. Abigail, her baby daughter was born with a dislocated hip and now needed an x-ray of the hip to make sure the dislocation is not recurred.

While waiting fro her appointment time, Alice made small talks with the other patients, as they all tried to conceal their growing impatience. Many were interested her babies, and one young woman asked if she could hold Abigail, who was stirring in his arms. Alice turned her down as politely as she could; with Daniel continue to sleep in the double stroller.

The outer door opened and an elderly couple entered the waiting room. Together, they glanced about looking for seats. Alice immediately moved her stroller, to allow them room to come sit in the only two remaining vacant seats.

“I’m going to go sit over there with by the babies,” the man announced loudly.
The lady swatted her husband with her hand and said, “Stop shouting! And don’t you bother her; she has her hands full with those babies.”
A few people chuckled softly as the elderly couple walked towards Alice.

The lady took the seat beside Alice, and her husband took the one across the aisle. He immediately began talking to everyone around him. He was there for a chest x-ray, he said. His doctor wanted him to have it, but he thought it was unnecessary.

“There’s nothing wrong with me other than I’ve been on this earth for eighty-seven years.”
His wife clucked at him and scolded him for “bothering everybody”, but none of those in the waiting room really minded. They were all restless and bored and welcomed his friendly chatter.

He was regaling them with description of his five great-grandchildren when Daniel woke up and began to cry. Tears of Alice threatened. Abigail was still kicking and struggling in her arms, and now she had to find a way to pick up Daniel and calm him, too. Alice felt lost, and then she heard a quiet request.

“Could I hold her for you?”

Alice hesitated. The elderly lady seated next to her held her arms outstretched. She noticed her arms tremble, and tried to think of a kind way to refuse her offer without offending her. She couldn’t let her Abigail, not with her frail and tremulous hands. What if she dropped her?

But instead of politely declining. Alice founded herself handing Abigail to her. She do not recall making the conscious decision to do it, but somehow she was giving her baby daughter to a woman she did not know.

Abigail kicked and began to wail, and she expected the lady to hand Abigail back to her right away. She didn’t. She stroked Abigail’s back strongly and began to sing to her. Alice couldn’t quite make out the words, but the tune seemed familiar. Abigail quieted down almost immediately.

Alice turned her attention to Daniel, cradling him and calming him down. Once he’d quieted, she grabbed a cloth from her diaper bag and tried to put it over the lady’s shoulder. She shook her head.

Her eyes shone brightly and her lip trembled as she spoke, “There’s nothing this baby can do to harm my blouse.” The old lady turned away, not wanting Alice to see her tears, as she gently rocked Abigail to sleep.

The woman’s husband leaned across the aisle and touched Alice’s knee. He was smiling, but it was a sad wistful smile.

“We have five great-grandchildren, you know.”
“Yes, you told me,” I answered.

He nodded and looked down at his hands in his lap. When he looked back up and met Alice’s eyes, he was brimming with tears, too.

“Our grandchildren won’t let us hold any of them, though. I guess they're afraid we'd drop them or something.”

Alice could not say anything. She did not have the words.

So how? Nice? These was what I learnt from the story:
Destiny puts people in our paths for a reason.
Sometimes they are people who need us, so that they may experience the light of love shining through another person’s soul.
Sometimes they are people whom we need, so as to remind us of Life’s blessings and abiding love.
And sometimes, like the lady in the waiting room, they are both.

mE posted at 7:09 PM