Cindy Loo Who Meets My Grinch Moment

“Is it contagious?” the little girl asked me.

Her big, 8 year old hazel eyes stared back at me with deep concern, awaiting my answer to her question after we discussed why I wore glasses. I had told her that I’ve worn glasses since I was a young girl.

A look of worry appeared on her face as she stared at me.

“Why?” she asked.

“Well, sometimes people have bad eyesight, and I guess I was one of them.”

There was a long pause as she reached her little hand toward my face to touch my glasses but then lowered it before actually making contact. She looked at me with genuine concern and asked, in a way only an 8-year-old can, “Is it contagious?”

That was the last thing I expected to be asked, and with that one question, she melted my Grinch heart. I laughed in a way I hadn’t in a very long time. Her childlike curiosity, genuine interest, and pure heart reminded me of the joy of being human.

But this is far from how the conversation started.

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Living on this planet for a long time can harden even the softest people. I had allowed my heart to become hard in some parts and had withdrawn from connecting with others. Adults had become too complicated for me, our unhealed selves bumping against each other and causing a lack of trust.

I didn’t realize how much I had closed myself off.

Until I had my The Grinch meets Cindy Loo Who moment.

A family was seated at our table of my friends small restaurant where you may have to share tables with strangers. When I saw their two small children approaching, I remember feeling dread.

“Don’t sit here, don’t sit here,” my internal dialogue went.

My dark sunglasses hid my rolling eyes as my friend placed their menus down on our table. 🕶️

I wasn’t feeling good, a bit hungover from drinking white wine the night before, not my jam, hangry, and just recovering from a nasty cold that just wanted to linger.

I was not in the mood for loud, untamed children.

Well, the gods have a sense of humor because where did the little girl who looked like a cuter version of ANNIE from the musical decide to sit? Yep, right next to me, with her coloring book and crayons. 🖍️🖍️🖍️

I kept my arms crossed and shades on as she plopped down in her chair and stared at me. I thought my shades would hide my entire body, making me invisible, but she saw right through them. 🙅🙅

I forced a half smile at her, trying to project a mental energy forcefield: “Do not engage in conversation.”

But she didn’t get the message.

“Do you know what this is?” she asked, showing me a blob that looked like a rock with a bunch of colors in it.

With my arms still crossed and shades on, I responded disinterestedly, “Nope.”

“It’s a crayon! My mom made it for me from a bunch of crayon tips smashed together and then melted in the microwave.”

“Oh, that’s very clever,” I responded.

“Do you want to see how it works?”

Man, she’s persistent, my hungover voice whispered.

“Sure, why not.”

She pulled out her paper and began coloring with it.

Okay, I was impressed, but I hoped she would lose interest in the grumpy Grinch woman with the shades. 🧌

The more I resisted, the more she persisted.

She stared at me and asked my name.

“Sherry,” I replied dryly.

She stared at me with her big blue eyes awaiting me to ask her the same.

My brain shouted “do not engage, do not engage”

“Whats yours,” I gave in.

She told me her name was Zoe.

Of course, her name is Zoe; that’s my youngest daughter’s middle name; so I had to share that with her.

Darn it! She got me because of course I was going to tell her that which of course got her excited and asking me more questions about my daughter which led to talking about all of my kids and her wanting to see pictures and so on.

I whipped out my phone and it was on!

My kids are my weakness so she had me at Zoe.😅

From that point on, little Zoe slowly melted this curmudgeon's heart. I removed my shades, uncrossed my arms, and began laughing and smiling, showing no signs of a hangry huffy hangover.

At one point, her mother asked her to move to the other side of the table to give me some space, but she adamantly stated, “No!”

She played all sorts of games with me that I remembered from my childhood, while her mother chimed in every now and then to remind her not to eat with her hands and to please eat her chicken.

By the end, she was hugging me not wanting to go as they were leaving to a pool party. Her mother coming over to me thanking me for spending time with her little girl.

(if she only knew I didn't start out that way. Or maybe she did?)🤷🏽‍♀️

What’s the point of this story?

Well, for me it’s just a day in my life when I was being a grumpy Grinch, not my finest moment, and how the persistence of an 8 year old melted it all away.

It was my Cindy Loo Who meets the Grinch moment that I had to share.

Sometimes, we just need others who see beyond the tough demeanor and a hug. God knows it so sends you little angels like Zoe to remind you you have a heart. 💕