Insert Foot Into Mouth
Ever feel like sticking your whole foot right into your mouth?A few weeks back Little Bear had a doctor appointment which ended up with her being diagnosed with RSV. After the appointment, we, of course, had to pick up medicine. I had two kids in the car, one sick and miserable, headed to the pharmacy drive through. We arrived over 90 minutes after the appointment, and the medicine wasn't ready. *serious side eye*So after sitting in the drive through to wait and be told it wasn't ready, they said "Could you just drive around again? It should be ready when you get back to the window."Really? Because driving around the building and pulling back up to the window will make it magically ready? Okay... But instead, I said, "Sure." with a smile.Back to the window with a miserable sick baby and now a hangry toddler. 7 more minutes of waiting and off we went to get "nuggets and fwies" as Bubba says. Desperate times, desperate measures, people.By this time it was noon... the witching hour for all drive-up-establishments. I pulled in behind a pristine white Cadillac-type-suburban with a well dressed and perfectly polished woman driving. *another side eye* Was I crabby and judging? Probably. I assumed that her car's superbly clean outside only led to a freshly vacuumed inside... As I looked at the crumbs, toys, and papers strewn about my car I started to feel annoyed. Was it her fault she had pulled in before me? Nope. Did she have anything to do with my lack of patience? Nope. Was I projecting my bad mood onto someone else? Yep. That's three strikes; I should have known I was about to be out.Finally ordered.Waited to get to the window.By this time, Little Bear is crying. Bubba is acting like his stomach is going to eat him alive and I just want to pay and get home.We finally get to the window, and they ask about my order."Kids meal, adult meal, is that everything?"Yep- that's it."Okay great. Your bill has been paid by the car in front of you. Have a great day."What? Wait... What? *Can we talk about feeling like a dunce? Could she hear my thoughts?*"Yes, Ma'am. Enjoy your day."Well, of course, I started to cry.Overwhelmed with the kind gesture and my shame for having such negative thoughts and judging when I had no right, reason or need to project that way. I gathered our food. Muttered a tearful thank you and drove home.It definitely gave me pause to think that someone, not knowing anything about what was going on in our lives that day, made the decision to gift us with just a little bit of hope.Don't worry; we did pay it forward. At the same place about a week later we bought a gift card and asked the drive-through attendant to give it to someone they thought needed a pick-me-up that day. She looked at me like I had 8 heads and then smiled and promised to do just that.I can only hope that it went to someone who was in rough seas and needed a bit of a life jacket.We're not going to be perfect, or close to it, some days. But grace is all we need to get us through the rough patches.Whoever you are Cadillac lady.Thank you. Be Great,M