I Get To Be Embarrassed In The Checkout Line

Yup.

We've all been there.

At least every parent I've ever met.

And if you haven't, just wait.

You will.

Every seasoned parent knows that no trip to the store is complete until someone loses it.

---

Today, it was my son.

My perfect angel?

My never has a bad moment, happy go lucky, go with the flow MoFo?

Yup.

That one.

It wasn't all his fault.

We went to the store that happened to not have a single grocery cart or even a basket.

So he wasn't contained and wanted to live life on the edge.

We were in the mile long checkout line, not moving anywhere and I had to keep him in my grasp.

He.

Wasn't.

Having.

It.

Periodt.

So between the looks and the backhanded assistance from the fellow patrons in line, my anxiety was through the roof!!!

I love attention.

All kinds of attention.

Positive. Negative. And everything in between.

But this?!

No ma'am.

I kept telling him "it's ok. I feel the same way! Thank you for expressing it so freely!"

All the while, he screamed his head off.

---

I'm sweating.

There's literally no air conditioning in this bitch, aside from the heat that can only come from a MF panic attack.

I'm dreading that I even made this trip with the kids.

But was I really?!

No.

I got to witness something in that store.

I got to witness my "problem child" be so unbelievably compliant and helpful it was fantastic.

So unlike the child I knew just a year ago.

She was the one I could rely on in this moment.

From playing peekaboo with her brother to pushing the random bucket across the floor so I can wrangle her brother, she was there to help me and god damn did I need her!

Thank you, Kennedy Kathryn.

So yeah.

I got to be embarrassed.

I got to have a panic attack.

I got to be judged and have random people "help" all while saying snide things.

I also got to see a huge moment of progress for my autistic child.

What trying moment did you endure this week?

What did you get to witness because of that moment?

Just for today, I will remind myself that I'm a damn good mom, even when my kid is melting down.

Just because my kid is having a tough day, doesn't make him a bad kid.

Judge all you want, lady who had 3 reusable shopping bags on her shoulders in front of me in line.

That says more about YOU than it does about me 😘

❤️The Aut Mama❤️