Brenda H
It was a perfect Saturday night in West Hartford. Our Big Book Step Study meeting just ended and a group of us decided to go for ice cream at the local shop. It’s just about my favorite thing in the world to do after a great meeting.
We all got our ice creams and headed outside to congregate around the life sized plastic cow which was painted in the various colors of the ice cream flavors the shop offered.
Shortly thereafter a young family ventured into where we were all sitting. I’ll never forget them. Mom and dad, were totally engaged with thier two kids Aiden and Emmerson. Aiden a little boy could not have been more than 3. Emmerson, a vibrant, curious, confident little girl professed to be 4. She was breathtaking. The spirit of the universe was pouring out of her. She was alive, curious, and connected. As she ate her chocolate ice cream cone (with sprinkles on top) she skipped around this giant cow counting the number of cotton candy ice cream swirls painted on the cow’s body. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Seven!
I’m only 4 and I can count to 7!” I was impressed–so were my friends.
At one point she stuck her whole face into her ice cream cone and when she lifted her face out of it she had chocolate ice cream all over her nose, around her mouth, and down her chin. She burst out laughing!! She laughed and laughed so hearitly it was literally intoxicating. I started laughing as did everyone else. She laughed harder and louder! Before we knew it everyone in earshot of her laughter was laughing. Many didn’t even know why they were laughing!
Her innocense, aliveness, openness, authenticity, and uninhibited expression of herself was so powerful. She was as Spirit created her. In that moment, so was I.
That was her gift to all to us that night.
