THE MAGIC OF A SMILE

 It is very difficult to commute to midtown Manhattan pushing a stroller.But for a few years I did it.  I had unusual, complicated childcare arrangements-- beginning with some time of the coverage for my first and second daughters revolving around meeting my mother in midtown and passing the babies off to her -- hence the mad dash from Grand Central in pedestrian rush hour, taking other commuters out with stroller wheels.Particularly harrowing was crossing the streets.  The pedestrians would bunch at the corner, eyes on the changing lights, never looking down to see why there was a space between me and the people in front of me, just pushing forward to fill it.  On many occasions fellow commuters came face to face with my daughter as they tried to prevent themselves from riding on top of her and the stroller.  My baby always remained unperturbed.  She was a remarkably even-tempered child, just happy to be along for the ride.After narrowly escaping an excessively high-heeled woman perching on the front of the stroller like the figurehead on a bow of a boat, I pulled the stroller aside and hugged the side of a building.  I needed a moment to regain my courage to complete the distance to the train station.  While I stood next to her, panting, my13-month-old sat calmly in her stroller gazing out at the harried masses.  A woman had paused directly in front of me to look through her brief case.  She was muttering in dismay at the lack of something important in her bag.  She snapped it shut with a look of chagrin on her face and glanced our way. She looked down at my daughter.  I did too.  My daughter looked at her, and seemed to be trying to decide something, the corners of her mouth twitched up, but then stayed in a line.  Suddenly she broke out into a smile.  Her whole face lit up as she gazed at the woman.“You are the first person to smile at me all day,” she said.  “Thank you!” and then she smiled too.My baby clapped and we moved on.Ahh, the ephemeral magic of a baby’s smile.Take time to enjoy it.It brings a smile to my face, still.