Piling out of the crammed and over-stuffed car, Butterfly and I stood in rest-stop bathroom line for personal mini bathrooms the way Montana I90 does, awaiting our turn. One was open, I went in with her to help her paper the seat, we hurried through till we got to hand washing. For some reason the push button sink provided only nearly scalding water. Mary had dumped a handful of the thick aqua soap into little palm, scrubbed hands good and was attempting to rinse the soap off, but the water was the hottest water to ever come out of a bathroom sink. Of course Mary had to scream bloody murder loud while trying to get the soap off her hands. The rinsing attempts and the screams rattled my nerves – like 5 MINUTES OF THIS, we got through the ordeal, quick turned the deadbolt to open door and walk out into a hallway and there before us stood a long line of lady faces boring holes with eyes into the flesh of me. I tried not to burst out laughing. I love the mother bear in the Sisters of the Earth, imaging who-knows-what. I could have eased their pain with the facts, but couldn’t. Cat just got my tongue. I guess the pink and blue and braids skipping beside me toward the water fountain rattling on and on will be the only thing for easing their curious indignation. In any case, here’s to the Mom’s and Dad’s everywhere who are incessantly judged for all the happenstances that kids and any given day will bring. And here’s to the bystand-ing Sister Protectors. May they be able to sleep at night, despite the haunting screams other side of wall at the rest stop.
July 4th, 2017
...because healing spreads 