Last week, I came face to face with a baby who was born during the pandemic. Couldn’t have been more than 7 or 8 months. Sitting in a grocery cart, wearing nothing but a diaper. Was he/she scared or timid? Neither one. The baby was staring at me with wide open eyes. I stopped and smiled, afraid that would trigger some tears. But the child didn’t bat an eye or move a muscle. Just kept staring. I had never seen a baby look at me so intently before, and I’ve been around many grandkids. Then, it occurred to me. I was maskless, for the first time in 15 months. The baby wasn’t used to seeing naked faces at the grocery store. And since most of the other customers were wearing masks, he was fascinated. Now that masks are no longer mandatory in public, you may find that a baby is staring at you.
Most public places now have signs saying, “you need not wear a mask if you’ve been vaccinated.” About half the grownups in this town have received the vaccine, but a lot of them are still wearing masks. Which means that little kids won’t find them very interesting. I, for one, was happy to discard the mask the minute our governor said it was okay.
A couple of days later, I went to a meeting with a group that hadn’t met since March of 2020. Outside the private club, a little girl stood at the back door. Probably a child of one of the employees. She looked about eight or nine. . Once again, I was surprised at her friendliness. Kids that age don’t usually notices seniors. But when I got out of my car and smiled at her, she wanted to talk. She said she was with her aunt, who was working inside. That may seem strange, unless you’ve been to a country where it’s common for people to bring children to work. But the point is, she seemed hungry for some type of social interaction. Especially with a person whose face was visible.
You have to wonder how it’s been for kids during this pandemic. So isolated that the only faces they see are at home with family. But if they can see you smile, they may smile back. And there’s nothing so heartwarming as that. Be happy if a baby is staring at you.