Beautiful Baby

Today Josie, Owen and I spent the morning at O'Henry's donuts and became honorary members of the Active Seniors Club of Morgan Hill.

At first, I was irritated that our usual quiet donut hangout was swarming with Seniors. Josie and Owen couldn't sit at the counter like they usually do and I had to coax them over to a table in the corner with an extra donut hole. 'This is just great," I thought was I lifted Josie and Owen into their chairs. "I could be at a donut shop in palo alto talking about world events with the wives of Stanford's Leading surgeons but instead I am rubbing elbows with blue hairs who keep forgetting that they have already said hello to me and my beautiful babies."

After awhile though I started to appreciate the crowd I was with. It was fascinating listening to the minutes of last week's Active Seniors meeting. Entertaining to watch the drama when they realized it was Terry's birthday but Elaine, the Sunshine Officer, had forgotten to have everyone sign a card. And it was good for my heart to see Owen wander around the table smiling at the old women and high fiving the old men in between their sips of coffee.

I noticed Josie was flirting with an old man at the end of the table who kept waving at her. She brushed her hair out of her face and gave him a winning smile, bright eyes and all.

"She's beautiful," he said.

"Thank you," I said and smiled at Josie who was putting on an ever bigger show and shaking her shoulders in tune with the oldies music that was playing in the background.

"She looks just like you." He said and another woman who was listening nodded her head. "Like a twin," she said nodding her head with more enthusiasm.

"That's what I hear," I said trying to smile but shifting in my seat uncomfortably. I never understood why people said that - especially people who didn't know me as a young child. I agree she looks like me then. But how can you look at my beautiful daugther with perfect skin, bright blue eyes and gorgeous smile and think she looks anything like me, an exhausted thirty year old with premature wrinkles, red blotchy skin and dark circles under my dull eyes. How can anyone think we look alike? It's a stretch even for a senile old man that spent Mondays at O'Henrys donuts in Morgan Hill.

"You must have been a beautiful baby," The old man said and the woman next to him was nodding so hard I thought her head was going to fall off.

"I think I was," I said and laughed at his backhanded compliment.