Relaxing and enjoying his Jets from different countries, coloring book. He uses colored pencils. |
Taking advantage of another UP day. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A
tired, new mother wears her baby through the aisles of Target, hair
in a messy bun and eyes burning from sleep deprivation. She pauses
briefly to pull a stylish dress from a discount rack, wondering if
the flowy ruffles would conceal her post-partum pudge. “$25 is a
lot of money,” she ponders aloud, placing the dress back with a
frown. Then, she hears the giggles of two women. She watches as they
mindlessly shop the same section with fresh makeup and smiles. Their
carts are loaded up as they turn to the dressing room, hot lattes in
hand. A pang of envy sneaks into her gut.
“I
really miss that,” she whispers, pushing her cart toward the diaper
aisle, kissing the hair of her snoozing infant.
******
The
woman found herself walking through the sale racks, grabbing items
and tossing them into the shopping cart. As grateful as she was that
her best friend flew in from out of state, all she really wanted was
to be home beneath the covers. This was supposed to be an outing to
“get her mind off the pain”. But everywhere she looked, there
were mamas with babies or growing bellies. She took a sip of her
chesnut latte and threw a beige leather purse in her cart, pushing
back tears. Her hand wandered down to the place a baby once grew. Oh,
how she longed for a kick in her belly, or any proof of the growing
life that once existed inside. Her eyes wandered toward a tired new
mama, kissing her baby’s head and strolling toward the diaper
aisle.
“I
really miss that,” she thinks, heading to the dressing room with
her friend.
********
A
teenager rolls her eyes and huffs loudly. “Mom, they wouldn’t
sell it in the JUNIORS section if it was inappropriate for my age. I don’t know why you are so ridiculous about this. I can’t
wear anything that’s cool!” Her mother hesitantly eyes the floral
halter top, inspecting it’s spaghetti straps and short-length
waist. “Honey, if it was just a little bit longer…” her voice
trails off as her daughter storms away. She pushes the cart after
her, throwing the flowery halter into the basket. As she makes her
way after the angry teen, she hears a toddler squeal with delight.
She smiles and watches as the toddler’s mother lifts him out of the
shopping cart and nuzzles him close for a hug.
“I
really miss that,” she thinks to herself.
*******
Toddler
mama nuzzles her little man with a hug. After months of teething and
sleep-deprivation, she was beginning to feel defeated. But last night
Little Man slept 7 hours. Seven. Whole. Hours. She felt somewhat
human after a ginormous coffee and a frantic, 2-minute shower. One
good day almost wiped out the memory of 100 bad ones. Maybe, just
maybe, they were turning a corner. She placed her son back in the
cart with a kiss, and headed toward check-out.
“Thank
God for one. good. day.” she thinks with a smile.
*****************
The
little old lady with powder-gray hair fumbles for the Target dog
sticker when she sees a young mom approaching. 60 years of hard work,
and Miss Betsy still couldn’t find it in her heart to retire. Her
joints ache from standing and scanning, but she still finds joy in
the interactions she would otherwise not receive in her quiet, dusky
apartment.
She
offers a receipt and a sticker to the mom with a toddler. She blows
kisses to the bouncy boy. He giggles in return.
She
smiles at the woman with a full cart at checkout. “What a lovely
purse you found! It will work with every season!”
She
gives a knowing wink to the mother with a teenager, whose daughter
has her arms crossed with a pout. (Mom decided against the floral
halter, after all). The sweet old lady hands the receipt to mom, then
addresses her daughter.
“Thank
God for every day you have your mother. I lost mine twenty years ago,
and not a day goes by that I don't miss the chance to argue with
her.”
And
as the teenager rolls her eyes and mumbles “yes ma’am”, Miss
Betsy closes her checkout lane and clocks out for break. With tears
gathering in her eyes, and memories flooding her mind, she quietly
whispers:
“I
really miss that.”
************
Life
moves so quickly.. Love what you have while you still have it!❤
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