Be Thoughtful!

Do you ever notice how thoughtful people are? Every once in a while something happens and I literally stop and think, "Wow! I can't believe someone actually did something like that." It's amazing how truly caring and generous some people can be and yet other people out there don't know the first thing about putting others before themselves, know anyone like that? Ugh, hopefully not! Selfish people get under my skin like you wouldn't believe! But back to the nice people...I don't know if it's partly because I have two small children who happen to be very cute, or partly because I probably always look like I'm scrambling around trying to get from Point A to Point B, but either way it seems like strangers are always being so polite and helpful to me. Almost everytime I walk into the post office, the gym, anywhere really there is someone going in or out who stops to hold the door for me as I make my way through with a baby on my hip and a toddler dragging me by the hand. Whatever the reason may be, it still gets me everytime...to the person taking two seconds to hold a door it probably seems like no big deal, but to the mom whose always feeling like she needs about 15 more hands-it's a whole lot more! 

Just this past weekend Eric and I took the kids to the mall. when it was time to leave I was putting back the little baby carriage that we had to rent since we forgot the stroller, and Eric went out the door to the car. I looked down and saw that the basket of the carriage was full of all kinds of stuff- sweatshirts, empty water bottles, a shopping bag, my purse, some trash...it was a mess to say the least. Meanwhile, Owen is practically having heart failure over the fact that Daddy went to the car without him. I turn to yell to Eric for help but the door shut behind him and he didn't hear. Although I'm not pleased to share this, I have to admit to you that I must have done the good ol' fashioned sigh and eye roll because the next thing I know theres a woman about my age standing next to me. She leans in and touches my arm and says, "Do you need help?" I was really taken back and I probably gave her a confused look while I told her I would be fine. She explained to me that she noticed I gave my husband the same look her Mom always gave her Dad when he did something wrong. I laughed and thanked her for the offer and managed to get out the door by myself, crying toddler and all. And honestly I forgot about it until yesterday when someone else did something really thoughtful...

I don't think any of you know how close to impossible it is to find light cream in Northern Virginia. We have about 10 groceries stores in about a 1 mile radius and only one store has it. We use it in our coffee every morning and I have needed it all week and kept forgetting to get it...Not a good thing! If you know Moms, you know we run on coffee! Yesterday I finally stopped at the store on our way home from the gym. It was pouring buckets and I had children who were overdue for lunch, needed a diaper change (really bad!) and me  in all my shining glory from working out...no joke, i was full of sweat. We ran in soaking wet and grabbed some milk, sweet potatoes, and cream cheese and out the door we went. Once we made it home I start putting the stuff away only to realize that in all my chaos, I FORGOT THE CREAM! Talk about kicking myself! I later spoke with Eric while he was at work and rambled on about how awful the experience was. He sympathized and then we went on with our days. 10pm rolls around and  Eric walks through the front door holding a grocery bag and guess what's in it? LIGHT CREAM! He made my night!! ...Actually, he made my morning since I got to have my coffee just the way I like it today!

The moral of the story today -  BE THOUGHTFUL! Stop and hold the door when you see a scrambling mother, offer to lend a hand if you notice the famous eye roll, and always take notes when you're significant other complains! But in all seriousness, be nicer to people, you never know when they might need it the most!