A couple of weeks ago I got busy with tax prep and other Saturday chores and put off my weekly trip to Walmart until the middle of Saturday afternoon. WHAT WAS I THINKING???
This particular day I made what I thought would be a quick dash in only to find all sorts of people cramming the aisles.
I should have sized up the parking lot and headed out of that place until a saner time. There was a mom with 3 little girls -- one of which was about five and wearing her Fisher Price Roller skates and falling all over herself. I had to squelch my inner teacher syndrome to keep from going over to that mom and asking would she kindly put her kid in the cart so that she didn't fall and crack her head open. I made a mental note to keep myself on a separate aisle from them. It seemed like wherever I turned there they were!
Moving on to the baking /cereal aisle there were two g'mas blocking both sides trying to decide their next recipe all with a kid who was clearly learning the same behavior of taking over the whole span from shelf to shelf.
AND THEN . . . I get to the pharmacy and there was a mom and another 5yr old right where I needed to reach in and grab an herbal supplement. The kid looks at her mom and asks, "Momma, why is that lady so old?"
I WAS DONE!!!
The minute I got in the car I pulled down my visor mirror to check my hair and see what it was about me that made me look haggardly and old.
I was bummed all evening . . . All sorts of things ran through my head --"Age is only in your head" . . . "People ought to teach their kids manners" "I teach my students to be considerate of others by being situationally aware -- what are parents teaching these kids these days?
The next morning in my waking thoughts -- clear as a bell -- God reminded me that I looked old because of the grumpy, cranky mood I was in.
What's in our hearts -- shows up on our faces.
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