Today, I as walking through Priory Park when I notice this family sitting on a bench and the young boy was watching me through his binoculars so I raised my camera and took a shot.
When I got to them, he was saying “I saw you, I saw you” and I said “I saw you too” and showed them the photo. They all shouted with glee and laughed their heads off then the little girl said “I’m not in the picture though and I saw you through my binoculars” so I took her photo too but I was so close, all you could see was her nose and mouth to which they all roared with laughter again.
I stopped for a chat with them and the little girl who I guess was about 10, surprised me with her knowledge and respect for wildlife and she could name many of the birds and insect we saw. She then produced a magnifying glass which she said she used to look at the insects and flowers with.
The thing that made the meeting so enjoyable for me though was the manners of the young boy. Although his knowledge was not as good as his sister, his constant use of “excuse” me and “thank you sir” was a credit to his upbringing and I complimented his mum on the fact.
I showed them some photos and told them where to look for different things but they must be quiet and move slowly if they want to see them after which, every time they moved, it was on tiptoes.
Throughout the whole engagement, the mother was just grinning from ear to ear and on parting she said “thank you for being so nice and patient with my children. They will remember this meeting for a long time as it’s not often anyone gives them time to express themselves.
Then, off they wandered (on tiptoes) and I haven’t stopped smiling since
how lovely, its true that not many people make the time to connect to others in such meaningful ways, but some of the most beautiful and memorable interactions happen unexpectedly if you let them.
