The Ballroom

The little girl toddled into the elegant restaurant ballroom. She looked around slowly. She stopped, then she gazed at the chandelier in the centre of the room.  She smiled in awe and wonder at the beauty. The way the light twinkled, sparkled and danced around the room. She then walked carefully into the centre of the ballroom. She sat down, leaned back and gazed at the ceiling. Quietly, she whispered, “Oh! So beautiful.”

Across the room, an elderly lady noticed her. She smiled at the pale blue dress, her blonde ringlets tumbling down her back and the matching blue shoes. She stopped eating. “Look,” she whispered to her husband. “It’s our Rosie.”  “Don’t be silly, Anna, Rosie is 40.”  He answered, shaking his head. But he looked too. Suddenly, he was transported back 37 years to a moment in time when his little blonde-haired daughter had stolen his heart.

The maître d' marched in, fussing. Noticing the little girl, he walked very determinedly across the floor. He stood in front of her, hands on his hips, took a deep breath, ready for a lecture.

  Anna stood, saying, “Excuse me. “The maître d ' looked at the elderly lady.  He exhaled, “I am so sorry, madam, I don’t know where she came from.”  He was about to go on. Anna raised her hand, silenced him and announced, “Please bring my chair over beside her.”  The maître d ' was stunned. But the customer is always right, he thought to himself. He did as she asked. The little girl smiled. “Hello, Granny,” she whispered, her face bright with happy smiles. Then she clambered up onto Anna’s lap and, in a voice hushed with reverence, “It’s so beautiful,” she breathed. “It’s just like heaven, don’t you think?” Anna smiled, “I hope so.”

 The ballroom doors opened as a tired mother burst into the room. She stopped and looked. “I am so sorry, I am so sorry, Kerry, what are you doing?”  “Mummy, Granny and I are looking at heaven.” The room was silent. The only sound was the ticking of the elegant grandfather clock. No one moved. Everyone watched as a child and an elderly lady looked at “heaven.”

Anna got up, took Kerry by the hand, walked to her mother and whispered gently, “Thank you, she has given an old woman a moment of pure joy” A tear ran down Anna’s cheek. “Thank you so much.”  Kerry lifted her hand and gently patted Anna’s hand. “I liked it too, Granny.” Anna let tears run down her cheeks, bent stiffly and hugged her grandchild. The mother looked, stopped and didn’t know what to say. But Anna just smiled.

Sometimes you just need to become a child again, even see from a child’s perspective