I took the kids to McDonalds for lunch for the first time since we've been neighbors. I didn't get the bread for lunch started early enough so we only had leftover spaghetti from dinner and I wasn't that excited about it so we put on our raincoats and rainboots and headed across the parking lot.
It was raining and I was herding my brood across a parking lot and into the restaurant at the same time a man was coming out. He decided to wait for us and hold the door. I was busy trying to manage the kids and my hood and mumbled "thank you" to him. The kids had wandered the wrong direction so I got them through the door and we passed the man in the doorway. Once passed, I heard him say rather loudly, "YOU'RE WELCOME!" And then he made an audible huff/growl. In fact, it sounded threatening. I really expected to hear some expletives fly from his mouth, but they didn't. I'm certain (after hearing his response) that he didn't hear my distracted "thank you" but come on! What is it he thinks the world owes him that he should treat a mother and her three tiny children that way? Is it me? In fact, I'm glad I didn't meet his gaze because I'm a bit of a mama bear if I feel like my children's emotional or physical health is being threatened.
But, alas, it is probably more of a lesson in modeling for my children than a moment for me to teach this man anything. Because seriously, no matter what I said, he isn't going to learn anything from me. He isn't going to treat the next person any differently, but my children are watching and learning from me. So, mama bear chose to walk on and just keep all those things in my head, and teach her children how to take the high ground and be safe, in a world full of crazies. After all, they never even noticed the exchange but they certainly would have noted what I had to say.
