I was lounging in an attitude
adjustment bubble bath when I focused on the picture at the end of the tub. I
love how it makes me feel. How it’s always made me feel. A shady verandah with
tall plant stands, greenery, and a wooden swing bench. A blonde toddler,
her chubby bare feet peeking beneath her nightdress, sits with her teddy bears.
This picture has hung in every
room, nook, and cranny of my home for the past thirty years. It has adorned the family
room, the landing of the stairs, a front entrance, and for a few years it graced the
laundry room. Actually, it was hanging over the washer and dryer when I posed the question to my granddaughter. Who is that in the picture? She didn’t hesitate to name her younger sister. I smiled. That’s what I think,
too, I told her.
I went on to explain that her
daddy had bought me that picture for Mother’s Day. He was maybe thirteen at the
time, I said. Aside from the fact that it was a gift from my kid, for some reason I never could
part with it. It was twenty years later that the image in the picture made my
eyes widen. How could that be, I wondered. I couldn’t stop staring at that sweet
child. She was indeed the image of my son’s youngest daughter.
At the end of my mood-altering,
fingertip pruning soak, I smiled as I tapped my heel against the tub stopper
to release the now tepid water. My cantankerous mood was gone. Sometimes when I’m
feeling irritable or grumpy all I need are warm suds. Today, I’m not sure if I
should credit the bath, or the picture. Of course, you realize the good vibes
are from more than a pleasing toddler pic. It’s mostly the wonder of how my young son
bought a picture the likeness of his future child.
Serendipity. Coincidence. Fluke.
I prefer Magic. Yes, I believe in magical moments.