| The Mall |
I had something interesting happen at work today that started me thinking. I remember it like it just happened [flash back]
Three of us went to the mall at lunch today. The boss had to go to one store and then we would have lunch. Well the one store turned into to and then we had lunch. Bourbon Chicken, yum!
And then it was lets run over to this other store and then we are out of here. Well, not to be lazy but I had a bad experience at the store before. The three of us went into the sporting goods store. We kind of split up and then after a while tried to find the boss. He was no where to be found. So where was he? He was in his car. Now I ask you WTF. The store is not all that big. Anyway when it came time to go there again today I said no thanks, I already learned my lesson.
Instead I sat down on a bench near a wishing fountain. Kind of a relaxing thing plus I got to do one of my favorite things, people watch. After a while I started to pay attention to this one lady and her three daughters. The youngest was in a stroller and was just pushed up by the fountain. The child seemed to really like the fountain and was she ever behaved.
The middle child was probably only a year older the younger sister, maybe around 2 at the oldest and her big Sis was either 4 or just a little younger than that. The two of them were standing at the fountain throwing in the coins one at a time.
The fountain was several tears tall and had water running pouring down. The top tear was probably only about 2 feet wide and square. The next tear was 3 and a half to four feet wide and caught the water from the above layer and spilled the water down below to a pedestal and then a holding pool. There were a few lights in it but not much. There were a lot of coins in the fountain. I sure hope someone was getting their wishes granted.
The middle child kept throwing her coins. I think she was trying to get it in the top tear but she seemed to always go wide right of the fountain time and time again. She did manage to hit the middle tear a few times. Personally I think she was trying to hard but she was having a fun time.
Now big Sis was doing much better. She got many on the top tear and some in the tear below. After a while she just started to drop the coins into the holding pool and watch the coins settle to the bottom and then back to trying for the top tear.
Of course fairly quickly the daughters would run out of coins and go back to Mom for a quick refill before heading back to the fountain once again. It was amazing; no matter how much they came back she was able to dig up some more coins for her daughters.
Mom was watching her daughters the whole time and I have to believe smiling inside as her daughters was having a good time. I could not help but think not all that long ago, probably 15 years tops and maybe a lot less she was the one tossing the coins into the fountain. Now maybe not that same fountain as they had done a lot of reconstruction at the mall and I think the fountain was fairly new. Still, rather than joining in and tossing in a few coins or even hogging all the coins for herself, here was this Mom providing for her daughter. Giving them some of the simple memories that they will have many, many years from now of the fun times growing up. Here was this Mom sacrificing for her daughters.
It was at that moment that I really started to understand what being a parent must be all about.
Happy belated Mothers Day to all the Moms out there and early Fathers Day to the Dads.
Want to know a secret? / Promise not to tell? / We are standing by a wishing well / Make a wish into the well / that's all you have to do / And if you hear it echoing / Your wish will soon come true. –Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Three of us went to the mall at lunch today. The boss had to go to one store and then we would have lunch. Well the one store turned into to and then we had lunch. Bourbon Chicken, yum!
And then it was lets run over to this other store and then we are out of here. Well, not to be lazy but I had a bad experience at the store before. The three of us went into the sporting goods store. We kind of split up and then after a while tried to find the boss. He was no where to be found. So where was he? He was in his car. Now I ask you WTF. The store is not all that big. Anyway when it came time to go there again today I said no thanks, I already learned my lesson.
Instead I sat down on a bench near a wishing fountain. Kind of a relaxing thing plus I got to do one of my favorite things, people watch. After a while I started to pay attention to this one lady and her three daughters. The youngest was in a stroller and was just pushed up by the fountain. The child seemed to really like the fountain and was she ever behaved.
The middle child was probably only a year older the younger sister, maybe around 2 at the oldest and her big Sis was either 4 or just a little younger than that. The two of them were standing at the fountain throwing in the coins one at a time.
The fountain was several tears tall and had water running pouring down. The top tear was probably only about 2 feet wide and square. The next tear was 3 and a half to four feet wide and caught the water from the above layer and spilled the water down below to a pedestal and then a holding pool. There were a few lights in it but not much. There were a lot of coins in the fountain. I sure hope someone was getting their wishes granted.
The middle child kept throwing her coins. I think she was trying to get it in the top tear but she seemed to always go wide right of the fountain time and time again. She did manage to hit the middle tear a few times. Personally I think she was trying to hard but she was having a fun time.
Now big Sis was doing much better. She got many on the top tear and some in the tear below. After a while she just started to drop the coins into the holding pool and watch the coins settle to the bottom and then back to trying for the top tear.
Of course fairly quickly the daughters would run out of coins and go back to Mom for a quick refill before heading back to the fountain once again. It was amazing; no matter how much they came back she was able to dig up some more coins for her daughters.
Mom was watching her daughters the whole time and I have to believe smiling inside as her daughters was having a good time. I could not help but think not all that long ago, probably 15 years tops and maybe a lot less she was the one tossing the coins into the fountain. Now maybe not that same fountain as they had done a lot of reconstruction at the mall and I think the fountain was fairly new. Still, rather than joining in and tossing in a few coins or even hogging all the coins for herself, here was this Mom providing for her daughter. Giving them some of the simple memories that they will have many, many years from now of the fun times growing up. Here was this Mom sacrificing for her daughters.
It was at that moment that I really started to understand what being a parent must be all about.
Happy belated Mothers Day to all the Moms out there and early Fathers Day to the Dads.
Want to know a secret? / Promise not to tell? / We are standing by a wishing well / Make a wish into the well / that's all you have to do / And if you hear it echoing / Your wish will soon come true. –Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Posted by barman at 4:26 PM::
barman, will you marry me?
Only if I change the mayo I use...
Funny how this little thing touched me. It was a kind of special moment.
I love people watching too bryan.
I think my favorite place is the airport.
take care
tc
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Hellllooooo
Hello!
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