Dear Shopping Cart Lady,
My life has been pretty crazy lately. I just can’t seem to balance everything right now. There are so many directions calling my name. If I turn right it’s the kids and their homework and their activities or someone’s hurt, or tired, or angry. If I turn left it’s my school responsibilities because I am a volunteer. If I look up it’s my church responsibilities and if I dare look forward it’s now my website responsibilities. I have a lot of responsibilities it seems and I am not sure I like it today. I am learning the meaning of balance and wondering if it will ever come? No amount of lists posted around my house can vanish all the stress. But still I try and I move forward.
But then Macie, she’s my daughter, came down the stairs before school and declared that she had no pants for the 3rd day in a row…woops. I am a little behind on laundry. And then there is the matter of having enough food in the house and trying to figure out the best time for a shopping trip. We can’t live off noodles anymore I guess.
But you didn’t know any of this did you? You didn’t know the load I was carrying. You don’t even know my story. But I do, and I feel like one wrong move in public and everyone will have their eyes on me.
I have a 5 month blue eyed baby named Austin, but you did know that didn’t you. He was the one crying in the car seat while I was trying to unload a ridiculously overcrowded cart of stuff. He HATES car seats and was crying…loudly. I was feeling the panic rise. This small thing was beginning to stress me out and all I could see was the 20 things I had to do instead of what was happening now.
And then you stepped in. You started talking to him, smiling at him, tickling him. And he stopped crying. He started talking to you… I could hear him. You only had one thing in your hand… I noticed. But you didn’t seem impatient. You could’ve moved to another line… but you didn’t. You just helped me in my moment of desperation. Thank you for saving ME!
I am guessing you know what it is like. Although you have aged and have no little kids at home, you know. Mothers just know these things. We are all a part of a secret net of understanding I think. But what you don’t know is how you impacted me today. You left a large imprint on my heart. It was the simplest miracle you could perform…my shopping cart miracle. I can’t stop thinking and talking about it. You DON”T know that such a small act of kindness changed my attitude the rest of the day and motivated me to be positive. You DON’T know that when I left the second of two doctor’s appointments today that I made sure to hold the door open for others, thank my family more, and not complain about my crazy day. You also DON’T know that you helped to inspire our new blog title “The Simple Things.” I DON’T know your name, but I know your heart!
Thanks shopping cart lady for leaving an imprint with me today!
-Tasha
This story first appeared on Real Imprints