The Little Blue Door

In the past few weeks I've noticed people giving me supportive and uplifting sentiments and comments about how I'm doing a good job as a mom.  Perhaps it is because they see me struggling with the daily trials of raising three boys.  One of the boys is usually acting out or crying at the time that the statement comes.

One mom in the school yard commented that she saw me in the grocery store while Darwin was crying, and she tried to catch my eye to give me a smile and support but I was apparently engrossed in what I was doing and didn't notice.  She commented how calmly I dealt with the whole situation.  At church on a weekly basis a fellow congregant will say (as I'm trying to round the kids up to get home) that I'm doing a good job.  I never realized how much these statements were lifting me up until earlier this week at the grocery store.

I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store one morning when Darwin started to cry (humm there seems to be a trend here...).  He was tired and I knew that I just needed to start walking with the stroller again and he would be out in a few minutes, when I noticed the woman behind me in the line.  She was shooting me the dirtiest looks I have ever seen.  I caught her eye and said very calmly that he's not in pain, because honestly I didn't know what else to say.  She kept on giving me this horrified look and said something about he shouldn't be in there (he was in the Chariot with the cover down as we were just doing a quick pop in after dropping the big kids off at school).  I paid and left still a little stunned with the whole encounter.  As I walked to the exit to the mall, as I predicted Darwin fell asleep.  I thought about turning around to find the grumpy woman, and say see I told you so but though better of it.

I didn't realize how much this simple look had an impact on me until I realized I was still thinking about it at the end of the week, but at the same time I was thinking about all the positive encounters.  The lovely people that let me move in front of them in line ups, the librarians who run up to the hold section on my behalf, the kind words, and smiles from friends or strangers.

The next time I see a parent with a tantruming child in public I won't hesitate to stop (as long as mine are not doing the same thing) and say a kind word.