A BABY'S HUG

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik ina high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly Erik squealed with glee and said, " Hi there." He pounded hisfat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughterand his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggledwith merriment. I looked around for the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pantswere baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-beshoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed.His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was sovaricose it looked like a round map. We were too far from him to smell, but I wassure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby, Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster" the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks. "What do we do?" Erik continued tolaugh at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisancewith my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya patty cak? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look he knowspeek-a-boo." Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husbandand I were embarrassed. We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who wasrunning through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn,reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband wentto pay and check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old mansat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him andavoid air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm,reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I couldstop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their loverelationship.Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head uponthe man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneathhis eye lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled mybaby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeplyfor so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erikin his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, " You take care of this baby."Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone.He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were inpain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've givenme my Christmas gift." I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I wascrying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgiveme."I had witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment, a child who saw a soul, and a motherwho saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child whowas not. I felt it was God asking, "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?"when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, hadreminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."