A man and woman walked out of the Buy Buy Baby store and merged with the flow of the sidewalk traffic.
She was pushing the stroller. He was carrying the little girl. And although I was a few steps behind, I could feel their connectedness.
It was in the way they related to each other. They were together in that space-- even whilst engaged in separate activities-- her, pushing the stroller, him, slightly in the lead, but at the same time every so often turning back towards her, all the while cradling or shifting the little girl so they could both be comfortable. I could feel the love. The love the adults had for each other. The love the adults had for the little girl. They were aware of each other and the energy around them came across as open and relaxed.
And I think that's part of what kept me looking at them-- that easy, open connectedness--out there on the busy city streets. Speaking from personal experience, it's far too easy to be caught up in one's own world-- even when traveling with familiar faces.
At one point, the little girl turned and we made eye contact. Pacifier in her mouth, her pretty, dark brown eyes, calmly met and held my gaze. Her hair, styled in two puffs, brought to my mind images of Mickey Mouse ears. I smiled at her.
As her parents made their way across the street, I was the first to break eye contact. But a few steps later, I glanced over just in time to see the man kiss her on the cheek and the woman's smile bloom at the sight. The little girl then reached out her left hand towards the woman, who immediately treated it to an enthusiastic, playfully dramatic, audible kiss.
Although I couldn't see the little girl's face, I like to believe that she was delighted.
I know I was :)