Baby Erik and the Old Man, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories

[nursinghumor]

http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/erik

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with excitement.

I looked around and saw the source of his excitement. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His trousers were baggy with the zip half down and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. 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 so varicose it looked like a road map.

We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure 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 to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi there."

Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room,
" Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring man, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the cheque and told me to meet him in the car park. The old man sat 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 side-step him and avoid any 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 could stop 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 love relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labour-gently, so gently, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then 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 in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me 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 was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just 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 mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was 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, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."

Author Unknown

************************************************** ****
************************************************** ****
****o Everyone,

If you like our inspirational stories, please pass them on to a friend.

To subscribe, send a blank email to: inspirationalstories-subscribe@topica.com
************************************************** ****
************************************************** ****
Our Favorite Inspirational Stories: http://www.inspirationalnursing.com

A Pair of Muddy Sneakers, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/muddy
************************************************** ****
Excuse This House, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/excuse
************************************************** ****
Great Truths About Life That Children Have Learned:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/great
************************************************** ****
What I Didn't Know Before I Had Kids, Inspirational Poems For Parents, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/know
************************************************** ****
When You Thought I Wasn't Looking, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/looking
************************************************** ****
Little Eyes Upon You, Inspirational Children’s Poems, Touching Kids Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/eyes
************************************************** ****
Children Are Like Kites, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/kites
************************************************** ****
Dust If You Must, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/dust
************************************************** ****
Handwriting On The Wall, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories:
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/wall
************************************************** ****
If Tomorrow Never Comes, Inspiration Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/tomorrow
************************************************** ****
A Hundred Years From Now, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/hundred
************************************************** ****
Being A Parent, Parenting & Children, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/parent
************************************************** ****
Love Is Being A Mother, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/mother
************************************************** ****
Every Woman Should Know. . . , Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/every
************************************************** ****
Every Woman Should Have, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/have
************************************************** ****
If Nobody . . ., Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com/if
************************************************** ****
************************************************** ****

To subscribe to our:

Nurse Friendly Notes Newsletter:
Send a blank e-mail to: nursefriendlynotes-subscribe@topica.com
http://www.nursefriendly.com

Nursing Jokes, Medical Humor, Jokes to make you laugh and smile all day.
Send a blank email to: nursingjokes-subscribe@topica.com
http://www.nursinghumor.com

Clinical Nursing Cases:
Send a blank message to: clinicalnursingcases-subscribe@topica.com
http://www.nursingcasestudy.com

Inspirational Stories:
Send a blank e-mail to: inspirationalstories-subscribe@topica.com
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com


Sincerely,

Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly, Inc. A New Jersey Corporation.
38 Tattersall Drive, Mantua New Jersey 08051
http://www.nursefriendly.com info@nursefriendly.com ICQ #6116137, AOL “nursefriendly”
856-415-9617, (fax) 415-9618

150,000 + Nurse-Reviewed & Approved Nursing Links

http://www.4nursing.com
http://www.nursinga2z.com
http://www.nursingdiscussions.com
http://www.nursinghumor.com
http://www.nursefriendly.com
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
http://www.nursingexperts.com