Karma

A couple months ago I was at the library and Little Dude was being a little cranky. Another mom in line was giving me a look of "shut your child up" while her baby sat content in his stroller. Well today, me and Little Dude went to get some yarn (what else lol) from the craft store and guess who I saw there? That exact woman. She was holding her child while he was screaming and screaming. A lady walked past me and nudged me (Little Dude was sitting very content in his stroller minding his own business) and said, nodding towards this lady, a comment about her child needing to leave the store. I ignored her comment because quite frankly, I've learned a lot being a mom, most of all, it ain't easy being one - and most women need to learn to give other women in general, a break. Women are often way too judgmental and cruel to one another. Especially when it comes to raising children. I think they forget how hard it is.

I remember one time I went to the farmers market here - it was 90 some degrees outside and LD was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I wasn't thinking ahead of going to the farmers market but stopped on the way home from doing something else. It's cold in there but I hadn't thought of it that day because it was so hot outside. Being cold in their I was going quickly and just grabbing what i needed - a short trip. Anyway, in the dairy aisle i was getting yoghurt and this older lady glared at me and said very loud to LD "What a mean Mommy you have. I feel so sorry for you. You are just freezing aren't you" and then turned to her friend and said loud "I can't believe she has her little baby in here. That's just abuse." And then she FOLLOWED me to the cashier - probably to see if I was going to lock my son in a car with the windows rolled up on the 90 degree day. I was so stressed out that day already having to make this extra stop. LD was 9 months or so, so he wasn't a newborn, but yeah, he was chilled, but by no means freezing.

People offer criticism so easily, but not once do they offer to help or even try to understand. It's like they totally forgot what it takes to be a mom. It can be so stressful and then when someone adds stress on top of it, it's frustrating. I remember one time at the airport too, I was flying on a Friday evening which means lots of business travellers - which by the way - I hate flying with...they are the worst at this. Anyway, a big mouth guy said looking at my quiet, pacifier sucking son and said "I hope he stays quiet like that on the plane...snicker snicker snicker." I said with a deadpan face "I hope the same about you." His face went red. I won't even talk about the time my husband let me take his first class seat while he few coach (they had automatically upgraded him without asking him if he wanted to be not realizing i was travelling with him)...anyway, i sat down and the business guy let out a big stressful sigh of "oh great!" and then when LD almost knocked over his beer (sitting on the middle section between us) he "humphhhhed" - i just got up and went back to coach and said forget it. Travelling with kids is hard but travelling with businessmen is even harder.

Wow, this is a long rant. I was just going to mention the craft store thing and look how out of hand this got. Anyway, the lady at the craft store was the same one from the library... I smiled sympathetically at her knowing how she felt and she just glared..at me and her kid. I could only think that it was karma. You really do get what you give.