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A Manner of Speaking Mar/Apr '96

by Bonnie Neugebauer
March/April 1996
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-manner-of-speaking/5010896/

I didn't notice her getting off the plane. She first caught my eye sitting calmly in one of those plastic airport chairs - waiting. Suddenly her face brightened as a man pushing a stroller came into view. The man reached down and hugged her - they studied faces and held on. Then he stepped to the side and knelt down, talking to his daughter. The woman leaned closer to the child and talked quietly and intently. It was several moments before she reached over to touch the child's face.

As the man and his mother talked (yes, I have assigned them life roles), the grandmother would frequently turn back to smile at the child, touching her gently, addressing a comment to her.

And so it went for many minutes, while others greeted and rushed away, this trio just enjoyed each other and took their leisure getting
reacquainted. While other grandmothers demanded instant hugs, this one waited.

It was their relaxed enjoyment that caught my attention, that and the incredible acrobatics of this young father as he tried to figure out how to push a child in a stroller and a mother in a ...

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