Love-Mugged

Weird title for a blog post, but this is because something unusually wonderful happened to me today. I was at the restaurant with my mother waiting for our food. My mother ordered mozzarella sticks with her breakfast, (weird right?).

Anyway, this family was getting ready to leave. A father, his wife, and two little girls right around the ages of two to four. The littlest one comes to the booth that I am sitting at and just looks at me so sweet with a smile. I look back with a smile and I shake her hand gently asking her how she was doing. 

The older one of the pair went to my mother and gave her a hug. Then they each helped themselves to a mozzarella stick each, hugged us goodbye, and left with their parents. The parents were there for the whole thing, and they got to see the face I make when my heart melts. 

I missed a chance to snap a picture with them, but I was kinda taken by surprise. I've had it happen to me before on occasion when a kid sees me and wants to just meet me and say hello. They give me a hug just because or just treat me so sweet that I want to adopt them right there.

Kids really do melt my heart. Especially when they're sweet and so friendly. However, I do worry because if they get comfortable talking to strangers then they might come across someone who won't be nice to them. I'm relieved the parents have always been there to watch as I interact with their kids so that they know that everything is on the level.

It's a sad reality that kids could always come across someone who doesn't have their best interest at heart. As much as I like being surprised with a love-mugging, whenever I see a parent whose child is too shy to interact with me I do like to reinforce that behavior by saying, "That's good, never talk to strangers."

I want all kids to grow up safe, happy, and healthy.