Yesterday Elizabeth went to spend the day/night at our Nana's house. She loves Nana. Therefore, I just had the 3 littlest ones. That always gets me to thinking.
I texted Luke and asked him if he wanted take out. Instead, we went out to eat....always a treat! So, we chose this little diner in our town. Luke and I haul the 3 kids in and sit at the biggest booth. Lucas and Ashlee in boosters, Baby D in the carrier. This could get interesting.
After about 5 minutes, my Dad calls and asks what we are doing for dinner. He and my Mom decide to join us. When my Dad arrives the twins get all distracted by Paw Paw. He really is a joy to them. Everyone is focused on conversation and food when I see him.
This man is walking into the diner. He is maybe in his late 60's. He is wearing farmer overalls, boots and tattered, straw cowboy hat. His beard is full and filled with gray. His skin shows obvious signs of hard work and many years laboring in the sun. His demeanor is private. He isn't what I would have expected to see in this small town diner.
He comes in and sits at the table next to us. As dinner continues MeMe arrives, and the twins finish up their food, becoming aware of their surroundings. My Ashlee does not have a shy bone in her body...or a quiet one either. She sees this man. Her eyes get big and her finger stretches out as her voice cries...
"Mommy! A Cowboy!"
Immediately Lucas is captivated. My grandmother, Maw, introduced my children to the world of cowboys and cowgirls. They have been entranced ever since. When they are not playing "Puppy" they are playing "Cowboy."
Lucas, thrilled with Ashlee's discovery, also feels the need to scream.
"Weeeeehaw! Look! A Cowboy!"
I cannot read the old man's face. He is sitting alone and now, our family is fixated on him. I try to quietly explain (from 10 feet away) that my kids LOVE cowboys and that because he is wearing a cowboy hat they think he is a cowboy.
I search his face for either joy or disgust. I find nothing. The twins continue to point and stare and scream
"Cowboy!"
Then it happens. A smile. A warm, tender, happy smile from this man. MeMe has now finished her meal and the twins get distracted by her new ability to hold them. Meanwhile, the cowboy also receives a dinner guest.
Finally, the twins realize they have not "introduced" MeMe to their new friend. The pointing and screaming resumes.
Everyone is finished eating and the twins are now walking from one side of the booth to the other. Then, the old man tries to get Lucas and Ashlee's attention.
Lucas sees it first. The man motions for Lucas to come to him. Lucas is frozen. Lucas is not the type of child you would consider "social." He sticks to his family and avoids strangers at all costs, well except to scream and point at them.
Ashlee, on the other hand, is a different story. She's never met a stranger. Ashlee finally sees the man who is now trying to speak to them above the noise of the now full diner. He holds out a single, shiny quarter and motions for Ashlee to come.
Ashlee skips joyfully over to him. The sweet man offers Ashlee the quarter. Lucas follows suit and now they both have a shiny, beautiful quarter.
They bring them over to us, holding them up with pride. The old man smiles.
We leave the diner, but not before I make sure the man knows just how much he has made the twins' night. Luke also tells him that he is pretty sure that the twins will thank Jesus for the Cowboy tonight, before they go to bed.
The rest of the night Lucas proudly carries around his "Cowboy Quarter."
Ashlee spends her time yelling "Weeeeehaw!"
At a time in our country where the economy is constantly under attack, presidential candidates are pointing out the worst in each other and American citizens are quick to state all of the bad things wrong with our nation, I saw a glimmer of hope in this cowboy.
A total stranger, willing to make the day of a child. The generosity of him to share the change in his pocket so that my kids can have a cowboy souvenir. The smile on an old man's face as he watches two 2 year olds delight in the simple love of a coin.
I was reminded why I love this small town, why I love this country and why I love seeing the world through the eyes of my children.
To them, this world isn't being negated by the stock market or foreclosure rates. The country isn't in distress because of rising health care costs or the lack of social security. Our world isn't in an energy crisis and foreign wars aren't holding them in fear.
To them the world is a loving place filled with people who are kind and caring. Our nation is one that allows us to love others regardless of how rough their edges may be. Our country is one where we can go to a diner expecting to just have dinner, but instead be fed by the generosity of a cowboy.
**On a side note, Lucas looked all over the parking lot for the cowboy's horse. Would you believe we couldn't find it anywhere?
I texted Luke and asked him if he wanted take out. Instead, we went out to eat....always a treat! So, we chose this little diner in our town. Luke and I haul the 3 kids in and sit at the biggest booth. Lucas and Ashlee in boosters, Baby D in the carrier. This could get interesting.
After about 5 minutes, my Dad calls and asks what we are doing for dinner. He and my Mom decide to join us. When my Dad arrives the twins get all distracted by Paw Paw. He really is a joy to them. Everyone is focused on conversation and food when I see him.
This man is walking into the diner. He is maybe in his late 60's. He is wearing farmer overalls, boots and tattered, straw cowboy hat. His beard is full and filled with gray. His skin shows obvious signs of hard work and many years laboring in the sun. His demeanor is private. He isn't what I would have expected to see in this small town diner.
He comes in and sits at the table next to us. As dinner continues MeMe arrives, and the twins finish up their food, becoming aware of their surroundings. My Ashlee does not have a shy bone in her body...or a quiet one either. She sees this man. Her eyes get big and her finger stretches out as her voice cries...
"Mommy! A Cowboy!"
Immediately Lucas is captivated. My grandmother, Maw, introduced my children to the world of cowboys and cowgirls. They have been entranced ever since. When they are not playing "Puppy" they are playing "Cowboy."
Lucas, thrilled with Ashlee's discovery, also feels the need to scream.
"Weeeeehaw! Look! A Cowboy!"
I cannot read the old man's face. He is sitting alone and now, our family is fixated on him. I try to quietly explain (from 10 feet away) that my kids LOVE cowboys and that because he is wearing a cowboy hat they think he is a cowboy.
I search his face for either joy or disgust. I find nothing. The twins continue to point and stare and scream
"Cowboy!"
Then it happens. A smile. A warm, tender, happy smile from this man. MeMe has now finished her meal and the twins get distracted by her new ability to hold them. Meanwhile, the cowboy also receives a dinner guest.
Finally, the twins realize they have not "introduced" MeMe to their new friend. The pointing and screaming resumes.
Everyone is finished eating and the twins are now walking from one side of the booth to the other. Then, the old man tries to get Lucas and Ashlee's attention.
Lucas sees it first. The man motions for Lucas to come to him. Lucas is frozen. Lucas is not the type of child you would consider "social." He sticks to his family and avoids strangers at all costs, well except to scream and point at them.
Ashlee, on the other hand, is a different story. She's never met a stranger. Ashlee finally sees the man who is now trying to speak to them above the noise of the now full diner. He holds out a single, shiny quarter and motions for Ashlee to come.
Ashlee skips joyfully over to him. The sweet man offers Ashlee the quarter. Lucas follows suit and now they both have a shiny, beautiful quarter.
They bring them over to us, holding them up with pride. The old man smiles.
We leave the diner, but not before I make sure the man knows just how much he has made the twins' night. Luke also tells him that he is pretty sure that the twins will thank Jesus for the Cowboy tonight, before they go to bed.
The rest of the night Lucas proudly carries around his "Cowboy Quarter."
Ashlee spends her time yelling "Weeeeehaw!"
At a time in our country where the economy is constantly under attack, presidential candidates are pointing out the worst in each other and American citizens are quick to state all of the bad things wrong with our nation, I saw a glimmer of hope in this cowboy.
A total stranger, willing to make the day of a child. The generosity of him to share the change in his pocket so that my kids can have a cowboy souvenir. The smile on an old man's face as he watches two 2 year olds delight in the simple love of a coin.
I was reminded why I love this small town, why I love this country and why I love seeing the world through the eyes of my children.
To them, this world isn't being negated by the stock market or foreclosure rates. The country isn't in distress because of rising health care costs or the lack of social security. Our world isn't in an energy crisis and foreign wars aren't holding them in fear.
To them the world is a loving place filled with people who are kind and caring. Our nation is one that allows us to love others regardless of how rough their edges may be. Our country is one where we can go to a diner expecting to just have dinner, but instead be fed by the generosity of a cowboy.
**On a side note, Lucas looked all over the parking lot for the cowboy's horse. Would you believe we couldn't find it anywhere?