Motherly Advice To Mother

(It’s late at night, and I’m working the checkout aisle when a woman comes up with her young daughter and her cart load of groceries. Everything is going fine at first.)

Daughter: “Mommy, look!”

(The daughter has grabbed the now empty cart, pulled it to the end of the aisle and is now pushing it towards her mother at fairly high speed.)

Mother: “No, dear. Please don’t.”

(She catches the cart just before the little girl runs her over.)

Daughter: “Hey, mommy, look!”

(This time the little girl really gets a running start. The cart is moving dangerously fast. As the cart passes me, I grab the handle, bringing it to a stop. I lean over the counter and look the little girl straight in the eyes.)

Me: “Trust me. You really don’t want to do that.”

Daughter: “Why?”

Me: “Because you could hurt your mother. And if you hurt her you will be in trouble.”

Daughter: “How much trouble?”

Me: “Not able to go home trouble. Probably ‘time out’ trouble.”

Daughter: “Oh. That doesn’t sound that bad.”

Me: “Or, your mother could be like mine and send you to bed with no supper.”

Daughter: “Oh.”

Me: “Now, why don’t you go help your mother bag the groceries?”

Daughter: “Okay!”

(The mother looks at me.)

Mother: “Thank you.”

Me: “Don’t worry about it. That was one of the less stressful things I’ve dealt with tonight.”

Mother: “Really?”

Me: “Yeah. All I had to do was grab the cart and tell her the truth.”

(The woman pauses for a moment and looks at me.)

Mother: “Maybe I should try being more like your mother. She certainly got something right with you!”

(That comment pretty much made my night, and I managed to finish out my shift with a smile.)