Supermarket Blessings

Sometimes, we get so rushed in life that we forget to count our blessings.

It had been one of those days. First there was a visit to the doctor to get a checkup for my youngest, Becky, which included me dragging her bored brothers (Daniel and Tommy) along for the ride. Have you ever waited in the doctor's office with a nine year old, a six year old and a three year old? You'd remember it if you had. The boys wanted to wrestle and Becky wanted to switch between clinging to me and wrestling with her brothers. On a day like today, I can understand why animals eat their young.

Then, I had to race home to pick up my two cats.  Muffin needed his check up �" he’s diabetic �" and Mitsy needed her shots.  Now, I’m cruising down road with three screaming kids and two very unhappy cats.  I look at my watch and I’m running late.  I hit the gas a little harder and I hear a hiss and feel the air conditioning just stop.

“That’s just great,” I say to myself.  “Three brats, two cats and no air.”  My temper is threatening to rival the rising temperature in my little Honda wagon.

Once at the vet, I set both cats on a chair and tell the kids to settle down.  The cats sit quietly.  Muffin is very much used to these vet visits.  He requires one a month.  Mitsy is smitten with Muffin and wouldn’t dare leave his side.  Both cats are very well behaved.

If only I could say the same thing about my kids.  Becky’s crying while Tommy and Daniel are on the floor wrestling.  Luckily, we do not have to wait for long.  I think this is because the receptionist hates children in general and mine in particular.  I scoop up the cats; holler at the boys and into the vet’s office we go.

Twenty minutes and one band aid to Tommy’s forehead later, we leave the vet’s office.  I’m $150.00 poorer and barely hanging on to my sanity. 

     After dropping the cats back off at home, I gather my rowdy brood back into the car and head for the supermarket.  Halfway there, I realize that I left my purse on the kitchen table.  I turn the car around and send Daniel into the house to get it.  He does and off to the market we go.

     So, there I am, standing in the meat aisle with a ton of sweat just pouring down my back. Tommy's jumping on Daniel and Daniel's jumping on Tommy. Becky is screaming at the top of her lungs that she wants fruit loops when this woman walks up. "Excuse me," she says.

     Right away, I get the feeling that this woman doesn't want any Oscar Mayer Bologna. She's wearing a black polo that's tucked into her creased tan slacks. Her nails are done and her highlights are from a very expensive salon. She looks put together and something just screams at me that she's never changed a diaper at two in the morning.

     I say sorry and roll the cart back, clearing the rack. I murmur sorry again and she just stands there, smiling at me.

     "You have very beautiful children," she says.

     I look at her like she's missing a few screws. Daniel manages to hit Tommy on the shoulder at that moment and Tommy yelps. Before I can stop her or go after Daniel myself, this total stranger walks over to Daniel and looks at him.

     "Was that very nice?" she asks in a gentle voice.

     "He hit me first," Daniel says defensively.

     "Okay, but still, was that very nice?" the stranger insists. I know I should stop this woman from admonishing my oldest child, but something just roots me quietly to the spot.

     "I guess not," Daniel admits, head hanging down.

     "Two wrongs don't make a right," the stranger says, softly. "You're the oldest, you need to look out for your brother, not hit him."

     "Yes, ma'am," Daniel says. I'm amazed. I say those words all the time to him, but he never answers Yes, ma'am to me.

     The woman leans down close to Daniel. "You know what," she whispers in his ear. Daniel shakes his head. "I'm the oldest, too. It's hard being the oldest. You have to do everything first and everything better than anyone else." Daniel just looks at her, wide-eyed, and nods his head. The woman straightens. "You're not alone," she says. "All us oldest children have to stick together." Daniel nods again and the woman turns to Tommy.

     "Tough spot you have," she says. "Being the middle child. Not old enough and not young enough."

     "What do I have to do?" Tommy asks.

     "You have to take it easy on your brother. It's hard being the oldest, okay?" Tommy nods.

     I look at the woman, as she turns away from Tommy. "Well, my work here is done," she says with a smile and she starts to turn away. "Oh, wait, the reason I came over here." She looks at me. "I know that you're not going to believe me, but your three children are beautiful and they are blessings from God. There will come a time when you won't be able to fix what's wrong and you won't be able to tuck them into bed and you'll miss all of this. You'd trade a day of your life away just to have them this little again." She paused and broadened her smile. "Trust me. Your children are truly blessings from God." At that, she turned and started to walk away.

     Feeling a little indignant, I hollered after her, "What do you know about it? How many children do you have?"

     She turned back to me, the smile faded. "None. I can't have children." She turned back away, but not before I say her eyes well up with a couple of tears.

     This time, I was too stunned to say anything. I just watched her disappear down the soup aisle.  I tried to put myself in her shoes. After all, she did seem to have a way with children and not being able to have any seemed cruel. I tried to imagine what that must feel like, but I couldn't, I had my three little monsters, my three gifts from God.

     I hugged Daniel, then Tommy and finally Becky. And, I thought about it, the stranger was right, they were blessings from God.

     “Let’s get some fruit loops,” I say to Becky.

Author's Note

I have published this here before, so if you read it before, sorry. I noticed all of my writing is now gone, so I'm republishing some items.