One of the perks of being a stay-at-home mom is that I have the luxury of getting groceries whenever I want. This means I’m often there early in the day during the week and I share the grocery store with a community of retired people who also have that freedom. This has turned out to be quite the educational experience for me as I am exposed to women who can either be a great encouragement to me in my mothering or else they can make me feel like I might as well just give up. I am learning from these experiences that when my days of parenting little ones are far behind me I want to be like the lovely ladies who tell me how cute my kids are and engage them in conversation. I love when they express fondness for my kids, even if it also implies that we might be a bit of a rowdy bunch by saying, “Oh, aren’t they lively!” or “Such exuberance!” I want to be like the lady who told me how blessed I was to have such well-behaved kids, although apparently her definition of “well-behaved” is a little more loose than mine. And if a child waves and says, “Hi Grama!” to me even though she isn’t my grandchild, I want to be like the sweet ladies who wave back and give a big smile.
So for you women who have to share the grocery aisle with me, I apologize in advance for all the noise and commotion we make even on our best behaved days. And I want you to know how much I appreciate your kind glances, your warm encouragement and the love you lavish on the kids around you. You are the hands and feet of Christ, even in the grocery store.