Warning: An Animal Was Harmed In The Making of This Post

Out walking in DC the other day, a terrible thing happened.
If you know me, you know how poorly I handle these kinds of things.  It was a squirrel.
A little black one.  It was crossing the road.
 The SUV didn't bother to slow down. Didn't bother to swerve a tiny bit.  It just ran over the little squirrel and barreled right on.
Why do people do that, Peanuts? I will never understand.  How could anyone cause an innocent living thing pain and suffering and just not care? I'll never get it.
In Maryland, there is a wildlife rescue center I can call when things like this happen.  I have their emergency number in my glove box.  I have been known to scoop critters up and rush them to animal hospitals.  But I don't have such a number for DC wildlife, and there are risks of bites and diseases and frightening when the babies are around.
So I watched it happen, and the car drive away, watched the little thing struggle to the edge of the street, and try over and over to jump up the curb. Too injured to make it.  I should have done something, Peanuts.  Something.  But I didn't know what to do, and I knew I wouldn't save it.  So I froze.  I stood there with my eyes wide and my hands over my mouth (don't ask me why I do that when I'm horrified, I just do) and did something that was of no use at all to the squirrel or anyone else. 
I cried.
Little One saw me, and it scared Her.
"Mommy! Mommy you cryin? Oh mommy! What matter?! What happen mommy!?! Mommy mommy, come here.  Come! Mommy come here, hold mine hand!"
J saw how worried She was, and lifted Her from the stroller, held Her to me so I could comfort Her worry.  She reached out.
I folded Her in, resting Her on my left hip, Her leg tucked right up underneath Little Miss in the front pack.  She wrapped Her arms around my neck, leaned Her head against my ear, and crooned to me.
"Mommy, mommy, there.  It ok, mommy.  You be ok mommy. I'm here."
She was patting my back.  
"Mommy, it's ok this quir-rel.  You can pet some doggies! You can sometime pet a kitty, mommy.  You can pat mine ducky! And...and...you can have a candy.  You can.  You can have some water, like this, from this little bottle here, mine bottle.  I can share it you mommy, you can just have that.  And mommy you can have a flow-er! Can have a big,  TWO flowers!  And we can do some dancin'."
She put Her left hand on my cheek and turned my face to look at Her.
"I can dance wif you momma.  And you can snuggle with Little Miss.  You can."
She looked me square in the eye.   
"See, mommy? See? Lots of things, can make you happy."
She wrapped both arms around my neck and laid Her head on my shoulder.  We walked and She held me in that hug. Then She tilted Her chin up, just a little, to whisper in my ear.
"I love you, mommy. Be ok." 
How strange and overwhelming to have been shown both the best and the worst of life and humanity within two minutes.
There is callousness and suffering in this world. All around.
But there are also two year olds.