A Powerful Jolt

The first day of spring, March 20, was almost spring-like.

I went grocery shopping. After heaving the bags into my trunk, I closed it, and prepared to walk around the car on the driver’s side. But I could not. The door of a black SUV parked next to me on the left was open and totally blocked my passage.

A young woman, dressed in a red jacket and red baseball cap, her dark hair pulled back into a long ponytail, was bent over the back seat, arranging a two year-old boy into his car seat. She was making a game of it, smiling and chatting away at him. He was giggling.

I was watching.

She buckled him in, her hand fondly mussing his light brown hair and then, to his obvious delight, she began a game of catching and kissing each of his fingers.

Any hurry I had in me evaporated.

 For there in the ever-moving, careening-cart, super market parking lot, this young mother had halted. She had ceased whatever rush she may have felt, to play with her son.

She had no idea that I was watching, four feet—and a car door—away from them, so intent was she on her baby.

It wowed me. I could feel their happiness, the web of love she wove between them as she kissed his tiny fingers. Love all around them, a private, encompassing sort of light.

I don’t know how long I stood there, maybe three minutes, when, suddenly, he laughed out loud and so did I. I couldn’t help myself. But it broke the spell, slanting into their intimacy like a sharp knife.

Mother and child turned at once to look at the stranger standing so near. The little boy shot me an enormous smile.

“What a lovely smile!” I said, directly to him, wishing I hadn’t laughed and crashed into their time together.

The mother immediately understood that because her back door was open, I couldn’t get into my car. Reaching toward her son to settle him, she said to me cheerfully over her shoulder, “He’s a very smiley little boy.”

She closed the door and allowed me to pass.

“I can see that!” I responded, acknowledging her and waving at him as I walked by.

When I turned on the ignition, a bright-voiced announcer from radio WNYC informed me that not only was it the first day of spring, but it was also officially Happiness Day!

I’ve never heard of Happiness Day but it was fine with me.

I was already giddy and full of gratitude from the vicarious, but exquisite jolt of pure happiness that I had just witnessed.