stop you in your tracks.

I have a little friend in Seattle.

She is just the perfect amount of tallness to wrap her entire self around one of my legs for a hug. And when she does, she squeezes nice and tight. Sometimes she even offers a reassuring little pat, pat, pat to my leg.

Just yesterday, this littlest friend and I were walking together in the neighborhood as we often do. As we passed other walkers, many an adult would see her and smile to themselves as they carried on.

Was it her bright smile? Perhaps it was her little voice chirping away about everything in sight. Was it her headband and bow? Her pink fuzzy mittens? Maybe it was her pink, sparkling tutu paired with the perfect pair of pink wellies (on mismatched feet) to brave the rainy weather.

Of course, she didn’t notice all the attention. She was right in her own moment.

Up ahead of us, I spotted a little boy, maybe a year or two older than my littlest friend. He was walking along with his dad.

Then he saw her.

He stopped in his tracks.

He grabbed his Dad’s hand and began wildly, but shyly pointing at her. The dad didn’t notice as first, fully absorbed in his phone.

“Dad, dad! Look!!” the young boy whispered loudly.

His dad finally looked up, saw me, saw my littlest friend.

“She beauuutiful.” the young boy quietly gasped.

And my littlest friend? She, of course, didn’t notice the attention. She was right in her own moment.

As we passed each other, the dad smiled at me and said,

“He’s very good at appreciating the beauty he sees.”

——-

May innocent and simple beauty find you today.

And may it stop you in your tracks.