{Yup, That Was Me!}

If you were at the Chick-fil-a  we were at around 5:45 this evening you would have gotten a great "show." The kids and I walk out to the van together holding hands throughout the week whether we're at a store or going in and out of school. This afternoon we played "stop and go" checking for cars and safely made it into the van after school.   Leaving the restaurant tonight was another story.

I thought I was smart by parking up front by the building on the end. I had the sidewalk in front and a sidewalk on one side so I could make sure Landen and Caroline had a safe place to stand. We get out to the van after dinner with my bag and a drink in my hand.  The car is surrounded by just enough leftover snow and ice to make you take your time. I'm not sure what sparked the moment of chaos inside of Landen and Caroline, but they took off in separate directions running around the van and into a very busy parking lot. I caught them and Landen managed to slip on the ice and fall down.  He let out a loud scream drawling plenty of attention to what was about to become the next "scene" of their act. 

 In the moment of giving Landen a kiss on his face and wiping a tear, Caroline bottled around the front of the van. With me in dress boots and trying to hang on to Landen I spotted her through the windows of the van. She circled around the front and I tried to catch her in the ice on the side of the van but she bolted into the drive-thru traffic. I'm feeling every feeling a mother can at this point. I'm mad, shaken, and totally embarrassed. I'm sure I was good topic of conversation for that very long line of hungry people. I believe I just lost a few years of my life from that experience.  

I don't know about you (as a mom), but I'm sensitive to what those around me think, especially since I'm a teacher of young children. I know I shouldn't care and I should just let it roll off my back, but I can't. Do you ever go through a store and see a "cranky" mom or dad and think "Gosh they're in a mood?" It's really not fair to judge them. I've thought it before...but did I know what had occurred earlier in the day? No. And anyways, what's it matter what I think?

I can tell you this. None of the people in the Chick-fil-a line knew I had been up since early in the morning, started running a household at  6 am, taught my kindergarten class all day, and had just spent two hours in a very busy restaurant in which my kids barely ate anything but probably collected every germ in those gross tunnels and play things.  And now they were making dangerous decisions in an icy parking lot. 

My point is this. We (parents) have to stop and think of others. Instead of thinking, "Gosh, he/she was in a cranky mood" or "He/she wasn't very friendly today," stop and put yourself in their shoes or at least be conscious of the fact that they might have had a rough morning or maybe their plate is so full they are starting to feel it-especially if they are a parent. I have, what I think, is a pretty sunny disposition, but I can tell you this, towards the end of the week, my coffee is STRONG and I'm just happy if I get to work on time with most of what I (or the kids) need for the day. We all have our days and moments as parents when we aren't our best and I can tell you that I too am not always bubbling over with enthusiasm...sometimes I'm lucky to simmer. I assure you at this moment of time, I'm not "sunny."  I may still be recovering tomorrow morning from the five minute ordeal in the parking lot tonight.

For those of you who have had a rough day, week, month, and possibly year, I hope you can find some time to breathe, decompress, and find a way to find a moment or two of peace. I promise if I see you chasing after your kids in a parking lot or losing it in a store, I won't judge you....I'll be sympathizing WITH you!

Wishing I hadn't given up my wine.....