This morning on my way to get coffee I stopped on one of the back roads to turn. A woman in her 40’s was walking up the street with two kids. She looked like a true gypsy with a long flowery skirt, boots, and a vest…her curly hair moving in the wind. I turned away from them and I could still see their joy in the rearview mirror as she led the two kids skipping on the cracks of the road.

Returning on the same street the beautiful woman, who looked like a Greek goddess, was walking towards the car. I stopped by her, rolled my window and told her she was absolutely gorgeous. She came close to the window. I extended my hand and she reached it. I told her I had seen her with the kids and she explained what she was doing:

“I have a bad back and I was telling the kids that if that saying, ‘step on the cracks, break your mother’s back,’ perhaps if we walk on the cracks it could straighten my back.”

We laughed together. I told her my name. She told me her sister was also a Millie. We shared a bit more. A car came from behind and I told her I would let her go. She grabbed my hand hard and said, “Oh no…don’t let me go!” We both smiled and it took all of me not to park ahead, get out of the car and have her tell me her story.

I pulled away holding her heart in mine, not letting her truly go. This is all we want…not to let go when we are truly seen. We want to be held. We want to be heard. We want to know that someone sees us skipping on the cracks going up streets. We want to know that we are not alone walking the journey of life. That our cracks are keeping the light shining for others to notice.

She was delightful….