The Sweetest Thing

On Friday, after spending most of the day away from home, my final stop included that of our town post office to collect our mail. As usual, I had managed to arrive right at their busy time. The local schools were dismissing their students and some of the townspeople had finished up their shifts for the day. Luckily, the line-up inside the office itself was short. Despite the Christmas season having come and gone, there were parcels overflowing from one of the large wheeled bins parked behind the counter. A flurried young lady stepped past the cart and asked how it was that she could help me. After retrieving our regular mail from the back slots, she stated that I’d have to return the next day if I wanted to check for any packages as they hadn’t yet been sorted.

With that, I exited the door dodging a few other mail-getters on my way out. Once in my vehicle, I placed our letters on my backseat, then climbed in behind the steering wheel making sure to sanitize my hands before touching anything else of significance. As I started the engine and adjusted the necessary dials for heat and sound, I gazed around at the numerous people and cars scurrying here and there. Friday afternoon at three thirty was indeed busy in town. It was at that point that the duo first caught my eye and it was just the sweetest sight one could imagine.

Coming from the junior high school across the way, a brother and sister team were making their way home up the icy sidewalks. Both of them were dark-haired and sparkly-eyed and each bore a striking resemblance to the other. The brother was playing his dutiful part as the older, more responsible one. In his right hand, he carried a hard case belonging to some kind of wind instrument I’d guessed. Slightly behind him, his curly-locked sister was bouncing along. Ensuring she was within close enough reach, he’d offered up his free arm for her to encircle with her puffy, dark blue sleeve which she willingly did.

Together, the young family members navigated the bubbles of ice beneath their feet, with her slipping and sliding more frequently than he because of the unrelenting hop in her step. An excited, end-of-the-week hop I’d decided. While I couldn’t hear the goings-on from my inside seat, I could see the makings of a few giggles as they continued on their way. Trying to prevent a fall as conditions worsened, the protective brother decided that it was best to grab his sister’s mittened hand in his. It was then that I predicted what might happen next. Sure enough, as if the scene before me was not already cute enough, the boy happily began swinging their intertwined hands back and forth. Slowly at first, then more vigorously with wide smiles occupying both of their similarly-featured faces; my own smile growing wider in return. I’d only wished that their parents had been around to take in the sights that I had, though I’m guessing it’s not the first time that the pair of siblings had so publicly expressed their fondness for each other. Their unabashed affection was refreshing to witness. Clearly, my trip to the busy post office had been serendipitously timed unbeknownst to me a few minutes prior.

As I slowly pulled away from the curb with the two in my rearview mirror, my heart melted. In this day and age, with such a growing polarization of people in the world around us, there are thankfully young ones to remind us of what matters most. The little moments. Each other. Kinship. Brother and sisterhood. Family. Friendship. Light. Love. Happiness. 🙂