Joy and Bri had a mommy-daughter date at their favorite coffee shop. Trying to encourage a little independence, Joy wasn’t holding Bri’s hand and was about four steps ahead of her little one.

 

She glanced back to check on her and she had already run into the arms of a sweet older gentleman in his 80’s who was enjoying a cup of Joe at the table by the window.

 

He’s a regular at Jo’s and was dressed in denim overalls with a red bandanna as a make-shift mask around his neck. They were in a tight embrace and Bri was planting a big kiss on his cheek!

 

Joy said “I cringe-laughed and called her back, but he was just beaming from ear to ear and chuckling. She muttered an “Oops…oh goodness, I’m so sorry.”

 

After they ordered their drinks and were heading back out into the bright sunny day, the man called her over and asked, “Do you think she thought I was someone else?” Knowing her big-hearted daughter and how she’s in cahoots with God in the “Making Someone’s Day Department,” Joy said, “Nope! I think she thought you needed a hug!”

 

With tears in his eyes, he said, “Well, I’ll be. That was the biggest blessing I’ve had in a good while.”

 

They all exchanged big, mask-less smiles, waved goodbye, and went their separate ways.

 

Joy’s heart soared with the priceless lesson: You can’t mask those sweet moments. We’ve got to love our neighbors.

March 21, 2021 is World Down Syndrome Day. Because Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) is marked genetically by having three copies of the 21 chromosome. Some call it the “Love Chromosome.” 😉

#WorldDownSyndromeAwarenessDay2021 #LoveYourNeighbor