Mothers without Borders

A check out clerk steps in to help out a teenager.

My background is in social work, but I, a housewife, decided to work at a box store for a while to help make ends come closer together, and to see if it was as bad as everyone had said. They let me work in four to eight hour shifts in the evening when my husband was home with the kids, but I was also able to have energy to cook and clean for my husband and large family.

One evening around 10:30, a young woman came through my line and I scanned basically junk. It was stupid things, scarves marked down to $2, eighty-nine cent shampoos, and then I found the reason for the woman being there. It was a pregnancy test. I looked at the young woman and realized that she was a girl, around 14, definitely no older than 16. There was no one behind her and I asked her if she needed everything. She nervously looked around and whispered, "no, not really." I told her that I could wrap the pregnancy test in a bag with a scarf along with the shampoo and toothpaste and take $50 worth of other stuff off the receipt.

She started to cry and told me that her mom would kill her if she was pregnant. I asked if her family was religious and they weren't, and I told her that I had a daughter who was 14 and that I'd not kill her for getting herself in the family way. She asked me how I'd react and I said, "Darling! I always wanted to me a grandma at 36! Congratulations!"

The girl started laughing and I said, "OK, maybe I won't be that accepting!" We spoke for a few minutes while I looked busy and spoke to her at the same time. I can't say all the wisdom that I imparted on her, as I don't even know if it was wise. I told her things not to do, like make her a "Congratulations, you are going to be a grandma" card, or buy stock in Gerber for her as a Mother's Day present, and she added that it wouldn't be nice to leave a positive home pregnancy test on the kitchen table. I warned her that guys panic in these things and to hold nothing against her boyfriend for what he might say at first, as she would have had a few weeks of thinking things through. In a few minutes, we had bonded.

A week later, the customer service manager told me to go on break, there were some people there to talk to me. It was the girl with her mom. Her mom hugged me and told me how much it meant to her that I was there to support her daughter at such an uncertain time-- after the tense moment of sharing, Mom told me that her daughter told her my tongue-in-cheek suggestions on how to not tell her and they were able to laugh. The mom-to-be told me that she was having the baby, and she told her mom after she did her own research on abortions, public aid for mothers, what local moms did for school. Her mom had her and her boyfriend sitting at the kitchen table and called her boyfriend's parents and let them know the news. The families seemed intent on working things out. The grandma-to-be told me that her daughter's contact with me when she had it affected the entire approach to the pregnancy.

That baby has to be at least five years old now. I lost contact with them after that, but I was honored to be working such a lame job and to be that important in someone delivering such news.

Reviews

[Pax]

wow... imagining the feeling you have brought your customer... it was a feeling of positivity in terms of struggles... that everything comes to place, that making drastic decision in not good… life is life… every new born deserved to live a life… and I always say that a baby is never a mistake… it’s a gift… to cherish… I love this write… it has a heart and optimism to be learned… I fav. this!
Ps sorry for the late review back to you…

[Crumpet]

Thank you so much, Pax! I appreciate the feedback and encouragement!

[Emylie Rifley]

Well, the more I read from you, the more I like. :) It's always nice to find the pleasant experiences in life, even from other people. Thank you for writing and sharing this.

[Rusty]

What a wonderful story. Judgement an chastisement or banishment certainly would not enhance actions already made. What a thing for them to let you know!

Well written piece I might add.

[Crumpet]

Thank you, dearest Rusty! I am glad that you not only liked this and took time to read it, but that you also found it well written!