Flashback/Flash-forward

Yesterday afternoon I made a quick stop in Wal Mart. As I was standing in line at the check-out, a young blond woman with an adorable toddler in her cart, smiled at me. I returned the smile and made a comment about how cute her little girl was. She then asked if I recognized her. Although she looked vaguely familiar as though I might have known her in some other life, I admitted I was really drawing a blank on how I might have known her. The strange thing was, the little girl looked more familiar to me.

The blond Mom then informed me I worked with her Mom in the late 1970's in the local hospital emergency room. That little reminder opened a trap door in my mind which led many memories flood in. I remembered when this Mom was born and her early years as an infant and toddler. Once I knew the connection, I understood why the little girl looked familiar.....she looked just like her Mom did at that age.

Somehow through the years, she stayed aware of who I was, while I lost track of her. I moved on to another job when she was still very little and only saw her mother occasionally.

So here we were 30 years into the future. The sweet blond baby I used to cuddle and rock was now an adult, with one of her own.

This encounter was a flashback and a flash-forward. I'm sure the years that flew by since blond Mom was a toddler will not be any slower than the years until blond baby will be pushing her child in Wal Mart. I hope to run into them at the check out line.