One Bean

One year when Herself was quite small, she and her family went to visit her paternal grandparents who lived several states away.  Always prone to motion sickness, she felt a bit ill after the plane flight and subsequent drive to their house.  After a rest to settle her stomach, she joined the adult relatives who remained gathered around the dining room table, chatting after a meal.

She sat upon her mother's knee, and her mother offered her a few edibles, including beans.  Herself did not mind beans, but was not in a bean sort of mood, so asked for not too many.  Her mother carefully arranged one single bean on the plate with the other items, and asked with gravity:  "Did you want me to cut the bean up for you?"  Herself answered, "Yes, please." And her mother did so with a flourish.

The mixture of humor, kindness and loving attention that was bestowed upon Herself in that moment was a comfort that she will always remember.