A Zen Moment Turns Ugly

Yesterday, with the sun gleaming and the sky cloudless for the first time in weeks, Jack and I decided to celebrate with a stroll to the New England Aquarium, where the good weather meant that there would be harbor seals swimming in the front display pool. There is something about watching these glossy-nosed creatures glide through the water that translates to perfect peace; Jack, his own little nose tucked up against the glass, was basking in it.

This was, of course, until a six- or seven-year-old girl bearing a striking resemblance to a bulldozer ran up and bodyslammed Jack to the concrete to catch a better view. The tears that came streaming down his cheeks could have filled up the seals' pool twice over! In a show of classic Northeastern courtesy, she exhibited no signs of remorse, and her mother, just behind her, barely muttered a "sorry."

My maternal instincts kicked into high gear, and it was all I could do not to toss these two into the shark tank. Mustering every ounce of willpower to quell the adrenaline, I whisked Jack away, sobbing and bruised, managing to eek out an "It's ok" to the perpetrators while I tucked him into his stroller for a quick escape.

Afterwards, Jon advocated a more direct-action response to the assault. "You can't let that stuff go," he said. "You should have just smacked her."

Next time, we're bringing him with us.