Tonight I and eight other family members left the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien after a wonderful performance of Scrooge by the Burien Dance Company to have dinner at a restaurant that we have frequented for 12+ years.  We had 5 kids aged 11, 8, 7, 6 and 6mo.. All who have eaten there many times over the years, they even affectionately named it the Dragon restaurant for all of the golden dragons on the ceiling. As we began our dinner the baby, Nehamiah began to fuss, I held him and tried to feed and comfort him but he is teething also. Needless to say he was having none of that and began to cry very loudly. Now I will admit that Nehamiah has a set of lungs but what happened next was beyond anything I have ever experienced (and that's saying alot). After about 3 minutes of unsuccessfully trying to quiet him I had decided to take him to the restroom but before I could do so our waiter came up to me and asked me to take the baby and leave the restaurant.


I couldn't believe what I had just been asked. It was dark, rainy and windy and I had just been asked to do something wouldn't do to a stray animal let alone a six month old baby. Well, I stood up with Nehamiah walked to the middle of the restaurant and said aloud " I want to apologize for the baby's crying but I have been asked to remove the baby from the restaurant and I will not do that, I will however take him to the restroom". On my way to the restroom I was asked again to take the baby and leave, this time by the owners own daughter! When I got to the restroom I just stood there stunned, then I began to cry. Only my family came and expressed sadness and sorrow. It is unfortunate that no one else felt what had just happened was thoughtless, Scrooge-ish and Grinch-ish.  Sadly it reminded me of another little baby boy who was turned out and away long ago. 
 

Now, I want to tell everyone about this little baby boy, Nehamiah, he was born drug addicted, his twin brother Malachi died a week before in-utero, Neamiah spent about 3 mo. in a special medical facility suffering from withdrawal from Methamphetamine use by his biological mother. My niece who is a divorced, full time working single mother raising 3 children of her own (who by the way, witnessed the whole terrible thing) has taken on the responsibility of raising Nehamiah without any help from the biological parents or the state. It is a true selfless act of love, compassion and commitment which she does happily and gratefully. 


  Little Neamiah is a survivor, a fighter but still just a baby. Neither he or I meant to offend, so please if you see someone who is struggling, at the very least have patience and tolerance and if you can lend a hand or a few comforting words of encouragement then I believe that the other little baby boy will smile, besides if the Grinch and Scrooge can do it so can we.