Words and actions matter and today none mattered more than those I could see but not hear.
It was a bright and sunny day when I hop in the minivan this afternoon with my babies strapped in their seats. Not a cloud in the sky. We stop by Sonic for my daily does of diet vanilla coke and then off to run a few errands. We never make it past the first place.
I pull into Sam’s Club and pop open the doors. I wrestle Reichen out of his seat and buckle him in front with Latham - carseat and all - filling up the back of the buggy. I admit it doesn’t leave a lot of room for actual groceries but if you only have to pick up the necessities, it works.
I grocery shop with the boys about twice a month. They don’t seem to mind it much, but all moms know the trick to keeping them happy. With a baggy full of snacks, I weave in and out of the aisles as quick as humanly possible. It works this time too and in about 20 minutes we were done with errand number one. As I’m heading to check out, I hear it. Rain. Pouring rain. Thick, pouring, traffic stopping rain. The kind you actually hear pounding on the roof of a huge warehouse store. I close my eyes and sigh. We’re about to get drenched.
As we head out the double automatic doors, I see other shoppers waiting and wishing for the downpour to stop as quickly as it started. No one wishes it more than me. As soon as my 2 1/2 year old hears all the commotion, he freaks. He freaks big time. He freaks like I have never seen him freak before. It was really odd to see, actually. Reichen is 99.9% of the time one laid back little dude. He just goes with the flow and whenever he’s a little nervous about a situation, if I explain it to him he just shrugs and says “Okay, Momma.”
Reichen claws at me and begs to get out of the basket. He repeats over and over and over again that he just wants to go home. His face turns beet red before he starts screaming. He just screams. He doesn’t say another word. He just screams. I’m normally a pretty easy going mom and try to remain calm at all times. I have to say though, I am beginning to freak myself.
A woman wearing her brown hair in a french braid and a blue smock comes to the rescue. I couldn’t understand the Sam’s Club worker at first. She was trying to ask me if I needed something to hold over my boys’ heads. At first, I resist. I have the problem we all have thinking I need to do everything myself. One second later though, I shake my head yes. Something to hold over their heads would help alot. She brings me a box. Forget it. Reichen wants nothing to do with it. In fact, I think it makes the situation a smidge worse.
I now realize the helpful warehouse worker is hearing impaired. She is motioning to me that she feels bad about the boys and really wants to help. Would I leave the boys in the basket with her she wanted to know while I run to get the car? I panic. Should I leave my boys with a complete stranger or run them in the pouring rain 100 yards to the car? Reichen is still going nuts and every second makes it worse. I again accept her kind offer and make a dash for it.
When I pull up, my screaming toddler is flailing in her arms. She runs him out to me and I buckle. When I turn around, she hands me the baby. She then motions for me to open the trunk and loads my groceries. We were both drenched. Our cloths soaked. I grab her and hug her. I say thank you. I say thank you again. I fumble into the car myself and drive home.
I don’t know this lady. I’ll probably never know this lady. But I will remember this lady my entire life for helping me when I needed it most. I will pay it forward. I will make my actions matter.
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