The older woman looked down at my 5-year old while the Fashionista eyed the gentle crone. They sized each other up, realized they were kindred in spirits, and with me looking safely on, retreated to a back table. The woman laid out the paints – blue, green, yellow, pink, orange. The soon-to-be kindergartener eyed them before carefully choosing her favorites. As my daughter sat statuesque and still, the kind woman methodically began to paint. The manicure had begun.
What made this encounter unusual was the setting. This was no nail salon. It was not in a house or beauty parlor. It was at the Lewis Morris State Park. [Read more...]
