The Arbor

My son came from Michigan today to attend a Frisbee reunion at his old college. We decided to meet him in Rochester, which is between where we live and where he went to school. We thought we were going to go to a Rembrandt etching exhibition, but the day was so wonderful we decided to go up to a park in Rochester that is famous for its display of lilacs

We were walking along a path ,up a slight grade, with an arbor of large trees and lilacs interspersed in a glade below us.. My wife and son were walking ahead of me talking, while i hung back taking pictures. I looked down among the lilacs and saw two girls who were swinging on a branch of a big willow. It was as if the tree had stooped them down and picked them up in a leafy arm. The branch was swinging to be excited wiggling of the girls and their happy feet. I stood for a moment and looked down at them.

Coming towards me was a young woman pushing a baby stroller. She had stopped to look at the kids swinging also. I kept walking up and just as I was almost by her I said to her " I wish I could do that, and so do you". At first she looks startled that I spoken to her, then the wariness went out of her face, and wistfulness set in. "Yes", she nodded.

We comprehended everything about each other in that moment.