Mama’s boy

In the grocery store this morning, a toddler (probably somewhere between 1-2 years old) was sitting in the front of a cart, looking very unhappy.  He had his arms outstretched, and was making whiny/grunting noises – clearly indicating he wanted OUT of the cart!  His mom tried to offer him a toy to play with, then a snack to eat, then a beverage to drink, then a grocery item to hold – and he was having none of it.  He just wanted OUT.

And his patience was wearing thin.  His temper was starting to escalate.  His whines were growing louder, and his grunts becoming more insistent.  Then, tears began to collect in his eyes.  Uh oh…

With a sigh, his mom gently lifted the little boy from the cart.  But he didn’t want to run around the store, or touch the alluring canned goods now clearly accessible to him, or do anything else ‘naughty’; he just wanted to be held.

As the mom set the toddler on her hip, he reached out his arm, gingerly took a clump of her shoulder-length hair into his hand, and began brushing his face very gently with it.

And as the woman continued shopping, the tiny little boy placed one hand on her chest, kept the other in her hair, and just enjoyed the comfort of being close to his mommy.

Talk about unconditional love.

Stef