Poolside Chat

I don't normally tell strangers personal information. Ryan barely knows what's going on in my head.  I was at the pool with the baby dill's, floating around with an occasional monkey clinging on my back when another family came--a grandma called Grinny accompanied by her two granddaughters.  I straightaway thought it a clever nickname.  One girl had black hair and the other a redhead.  They were a quiet pair with matching swimsuits, and began playing with my flock immediately.  They had sweet, thick southern accents.  Think Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird.  I began chatting with Grinny, already drawing the conclusion they weren't from here.  She confirmed my guess--Arkansas.  I'm not even sure exactly where Arkansas is.  Never been good at geography.  A 13 hour drive, rather than their annual 7 hour drive since the oil spill had slicked up their normal destination.  I got out of the pool shortly to work on my beading project [of course].  She followed a few minutes later, choosing a chair beside me instead of by her son and daughter-in-law who had arrived and were sitting on a different side of the pool.  She continued chatting with me, though the chatting had turned much deeper than normal poolside chats.  No longer weather and news.  Her beliefs, answered prayers, raising children, an adoption story guided by God's will, starting a charity to better her community and give the children there a bigger chance at becoming a someone able to follow dreams.  All this from a stranger.  I found myself sharing my thoughts and concerns about life with her, as though she was a dear friend or beloved aunt.  She tried to convince me to come visit her beautiful, peaceful place--Star City.  I felt myself wanting to be there, or having her as my next door neighbor, so I could run over and say, "Grinny, I have to tell you what Clover did today...."  and know that she truly cared what Clover did.  After getting too much sun and finishing my bracelet we said our good-byes.  They go home soon and we won't see them again, but I left thinking how grateful I was to know there are good people everywhere.  People who still care enough to make handmade prayer squares for those in the military, who work to improve their community, who do good things not for praise or flattery of the world.  


Makes me want to be a better person.