It's Good to Have Friends
I felt really loved yesterday. My godson Brody, who just turned a year old, is a little under the weather. His mom Amy says Brody caught my cold - I really hope it was someone else’s cold because my cold lasted an awfully long time and, frankly, I don’t want to take the blame for Brody’s illness. But regardless of the source, the World’s Happiest Baby was not so happy yesterday. He was whiny and clingy, and he just looked so sad.
I took the subway up from my office to Amy’s apartment. She had to switch the car seat in her car, and her husband Eric was cooking, so for a few minutes I was alone in the playroom with Brody and his three-year-old brother Madden. Brody is usually content to crawl around and examine Madden’s toys. I had been holding him, but I wanted to put him down so I could wash my hands and get the subway off of them. When I bent toward the floor, Brody did that thing with his legs that babies do sometimes - lifting them up so it was impossible to put him down. He dug his fingers into me for dear life. I just felt so loved and needed. I washed one hand at a time while holding him.
Of course when Amy came upstairs a few minutes later, Brody started crying and reaching for her like I’d been torturing him the whole time. But then Madden was delighted that I was free to play with him. He showed me the “garage” on his bedroom floor that he’d made out of sheets. I asked him to hand me something Brody had dropped, and when he did I said, “Thank you, you’re a very good boy.”
“I know,” Madden said. “But sometimes I do cry.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “Everyone cries sometimes. Sometimes even I cry.”
Madden nodded knowingly. “Sometimes, even eight year olds cry,” he said.
“Oh Madden, do you know who my favorite three and a half year old is?”
“I am,” Madden said, “but I’m really three and three quarters.”
Later on, Amy and Eric went onto Amazon and pre-ordered MY SO-CALLED FAMILY - I can hardly believe I have a book on Amazon! When I see my name there, I feel like I am gazing at the life of someone else named Courtney Sheinmel. I am feeling very thankful and loved.