Heartwarming...

This summer, the neighbor across the street asked me if I would like to care for her little son on Tuesday mornings come fall. She knew that I had done daycare in the past. More than that, she knows that I am a grandma and she thought Alastair and I would get along great.

Well, I thought, I really want to get a real job, with a salary. I am actively looking for a job like that and, if I find something, it might make it impossible for me to be available on Tuesday mornings. I am not a babysitter or daycare provider anymore. I have moved on. I’m a seminarian now, I should get a job that reflects my new goals in life.

August came and my neighbor asked again if I was available. “Sure,” I said. “I don’t have anything else going on yet.” And so it came to be that I began taking care of 14-month-old Alastair every Tuesday morning. He is a sweetheart and it’s really fun to spend four hours following him around the park, playing with toys and eating snacks. He loves reading the same books over and over. He tosses me his favorite ball like it is being fired from a slingshot. We continually press buttons and push levers to get sound effects out of his floor toys. It’s pretty relaxing to do these things four hours a week.

The first week, after I left and Alastair had his afternoon nap, he came outside to play in the front yard with his mom and brothers. Before Mom knew it, Alastair was toddling his way across the street toward my house, wanting to come over and say hello. She couldn’t dissuade him from this and soon he was patting my front door. When I opened it, there was an apologetic mother and a grinning baby on my doorstep. I was delighted to see them. We visited briefly and they went home.

This week, Alastair did the same thing. He insisted that he be allowed to come and “knock” at my door. This time when I opened the door, not only Alastair and his mom, but most of the other kids in the neighborhood were there. Everyone thinks it’s cute that Ali wants to go visiting, so they tagged along.

This morning I was in my front yard adjusting the sprinkler when the family across the street got into their car to drive to school. As they backed into the street their mom asked if I would say hi to Alastair in his car seat. I walked over and when the side door slid open, I also got to talk with his brothers who are very excited about what they are learning at school.

Caring for Ali has brought me wonderful new connections to my neighborhood. Today I am hurrying to get my work done so I can be free at 4:00 p.m. when the kids go out to play. I plan to take a lawn chair and join them all outside where we can visit without the hazard of Alastair trying to cross the road to get to my door. I will take my knitting, go hang out with the moms and watch the children play.

If anyone I know ever wonders whether a single, small life can have influence, I am going to have to sit them down and tell them all about Alastair.