The meeting at the gas station

I'm pretty sure I had seen it before, but tonight, I saw the part of it I don't think I ever wanted to see.  I was on my way to pick up the boys from daycare, and passed the corner convenience store. 

There they were, two cars.  One car with a lady and a girl.  The girl being about 7 years old or so, that seemed very excited.  The car next to theirs was a car with a man in it, who was getting out of his car, excitedly as well.

He opened up the back door of the car that was next to him, and the girl almost lept into his arms, while her mom dug for some imaginary thing she had dropped on the floor of the car, never looking at the man that was embracing her daughter like he hadn't seen her in years. 

It was so precious, yet so disturbing, all in the same moment.  I was stopped at a stop light, so I witnessed the whole thing.  The mother digging around on her floor, the father so excited to see his, what I would guess to be, daughter, and the little girl just about ready to turn inside out she was so excited for what was about to happen.

The whole thing just made me kind of sad.  Actually, really sad.  How does your life get deteriorated to the point where you are meeting at corner convenience stores to "exchange" children?  I'm only assuming that is what happened, but I've witnessed that a couple times in the town that I live.  And unfortunately, for the parents, it is never a happy moment.  What happens to get you to the point? 

For whatever reason, I just had to blog about this.  Maybe because it just touched me, affected me, bothered me, and everything else in between. 

I drove the next 15 seconds to daycare, and when I picked up my boys, gave them an extra hard hug that day, which they gladly received.  I just love picking them up.  The glow on their faces when they see me is just priceless, like they hadn't seen me in forever, and are just so excited that I showed up.  I just love those moments.  And they aren't happening in a gas station parking lot. They are happening in their "second home".  Their daycare, with their friends, their security, and familarness. 

I'm going to try to get over this now, but it is still weighing on my mind.  What will this girl remember in 20 years???  Will she remember a gas station, or the thrill of her father or mother picking her up?  Will she remember what got her to that point, or will she remember the love they have for her when they are alone? 

My years of psychology classes have trained me to think this way, which I love, but sometimes leaves me thinking about things that have no answer - at least now.........