About Old Souls

Last week I had a bad day at work – too many distractions, too much frustration, too little sense of accomplishment.

One of my coworkers came in for a class with her children.  She has a remarkable young son, Christopher & a beautiful infant named Tessa.

Christopher came to my work station & gave me a hug.  Then I reached out to his mother & asked Tessa to let me talk to her for a while.

Christopher & Tessa’s mother is extremely generous about sharing her children.  Christopher, as his mother told his father, has me wrapped around his finger.

I keep crayons & colored pencils & treats in my filing cabinet for Christopher.

That day, I wanted to hold Tessa & remind myself that no frustration I felt was as important as our collective commitment to our children. 

Tessa’s & Christopher's cousin Cate soon arrived & after a time, asked if she could hold the baby.

Cate is four, soon to be five & used to carrying her baby brother Conner.

So Cate & sat down on the couch in the lobby of the gym & I placed Tessa in Cate’s arms.

We talked about lovely babies smell, how sweet it was to hold a baby.

I told her she was doing a great job of holding Tessa, and that I thougt she knew what to do because of holding her brother, Conner.

And I said:  You are the only one in your family who is both a little sister & a big sister.

It is a recurring theme between us, this lovely & unique position she holds in her family as the middle child.

The she said:  I am the oldest. I am older than Tessa, I am older than Conner, I am older than Christopher, I am older than my sister.

Oh, I replied, I thought Claire was older.

I am taller & I am older.

I leaned over & whispered:  Are you telling me that you are an old soul in a very young body?

She looked up at me, & behind those beautiful eyelashes, replied simply:  I am.

I believe it.