An Open Letter

Dear Lady in the Grocery Store Parking Lot:

When you started belittling me in front of my baby, I was totally shocked. Who does that? And further, who does that to a complete stranger?

Apparently you do and you do it quite well. You must have had a lot of practice.

Contrary to what you-- a complete stranger thinks-- I do take good care of my children and I love them very much! I feed them hot meals pretty much every morning before they go to school. I wash their clothes, I comfort them when they are sad and I guard them with my life. I play with them, and I teach them how to be kind to others.

When you found me walking "selfishly out of the store with my stupid soda", I had not done what it was you were accusing me of doing.

You stood by my car with a stern look on your face, arms crossed and tapping your mad, pointy foot.

I walked back to my car, and you started scolding me about the dangers of leaving my child alone in the car. How could I be so selfish to do that? To leave my baby in the car while I went and got a "stupid soda"?

Honestly?

I was floored and completely speechless.

I had done no such thing.

In fact, I actually had done the complete opposite. I had taken my baby into the store with me, to get my "selfish, stupid soda" and I also got her a doughnut. Well, really I got a doughnut for all the kids that were at home still sleeping (the oldest is fifteen and perfectly capable of tending).

I came out of the store, and put the baby back into her seat, and carefully buckled her up. I then gave her a kiss and she started singing at the top of her lungs "twinkle star".

This is where you came onto the scene.

You did not see what I was doing, and yet you were sure quick to determine that I was a waste of human space, and you articulated that very well.

You took great care to rip me to shreds, all while your Daughter buckled your Grand Baby into his car seat.

Seriously?

All I was doing was returning the shopping cart to the cart return.

Oh the horrors of being a responsible shopper!

So, Ms. Judgy-McJudger Pants, the next time you decide to go off on a complete stranger? Maybe you should check around to see if there are any women in the parking lot pushing an empty shopping cart back to the cart return. It's probably the mother of the "baby screaming" in the car. Who, by the way, actually wasn't screaming but singing.

Next time I'll FOR SURE leave the cart in the middle of the isle and let it ding your car door.

You big Jerk Face.

Thanks for nothing,