Through the Eyes of a Delivery Goddess |
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This is an older story, but too cute to overlook. Probably 20 years ago now, I was sitting in my doctor's office. There was a woman and a young girl sitting across the room from me, she was inquisitive, but well behaved. Her mother leaned over getting her own face close to the little girl's, as we as parents have all done when we want to say something private or important to our kids, and said, "Mommy's going to the ladies room, can you sit right here in the chair and be quiet until mommy comes back?" The tyke nodded her head with a huge grin and hopped up into the large wooden library-style chair next to her mother. Her mom was gone for perhaps a minute, when the girl energetically jumped down from the chair and ran across the room to my lap. I was sitting, minding my own business, staring off into space - on vacation somewhere other than the doctor's office, I'm sure. **POUNCE** The girl, with one smooth motion, jumped into my lap and put one hand on my shoulder to keep from falling back down off of my lap. I sat up a little more erect in an effort to make my lap more level as she proudly said, "Hi, I'm Deseree. I'm five. Can you read me a book?" She pointed to a Dr Suess book over in the book case about five feet away. I read the title, and she nodded with approval. I picked her up in my arms as we walked over to the book shelf and sat down in another chair next to the books. I was not, and am not, a parent, but am familiar enough with my own childish side to know that the attention span would be pretty short - no sense getting back up again anytime soon. I figured I'd park us right next to the books so I could reach another one at any time. I was doing my best to entertain the tot when her mother appeared in the doorway. I could see the look in the mother's face ... she KNEW that when she left that room, she'd come back to find her daughter on someone's lap. It was that special parental "smirk", like "I told you not to do this, but I knew you would..." Deseree cheerfully said, "Mommy, this is my new friend. She's reading Dr Suess to me." The mother appologized and I shook my head, "No problem, she's been great." We didn't quite get the book finished when her mother was called back to an exam room, and the girl had to go with her. She waved good-bye to me and disappeared around the corner. It wasn't long before I was called to a holding room in the back - or, rather... exam room. I was still waiting when I heard Deseree's sunny voice say to the nurse, "Please tell my new friend good-bye for me." The nurse said, "OK", and I head the outside door open and slam shut. That is NOT something you'd want your kids doing nowadays. I can hear all of you saying to yourselves, "But how does this relate to deliveries?"... well, wait - there's more. Nearly six months later, I was riding with a friend delivering pizzas. It was his job, not mine, I was just along for kicks. He was gone in one house for an abnormally long time. He finally came out of the house, shaking his head and grinning. When he got in the car, he looked at me and said, "When the mother left the room to get money for the food, this little girl came running out of the kitchen with a book in her hand and said, "Hi, My name's Deseree. I'm six. Will you read this for me before you go?" It was the same Dr suess book I'd read to her in the doctor's office a few months prior. I started to laugh, and described the child. He nodded and, of course, wanted to know where I'd seen her. I explained the doctor's office incident. He said, "I had to actually read the book before she'd let me leave." We both laughed. I think this is where the clichet "Small World" fits. Wonder where Deseree is now? |