Dear Aldi Mom,
I wanted to take a little time out of my day to write to you. You pulled in next to me in the parking lot. If I had known you had a toddler, I would’ve given you my cart. Every mama knows that getting a cart next to your car and not having to carry your young child, reusable grocery bags and purse (don’t forget your quarter 😉) all the way to the cart corral is a miracle that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
You were doing the classic mom move of using your phone in the car for a few minutes as I loaded up my groceries. I do this too. [Side note: If you’ve ever seen a woman with young kids in the car that is scrolling through her phone, it’s because she’s taking advantage of this moment. A brief period in time where her child/children don’t need anything (in theory) to catch up on social media, texts, emails etc. and take a breath.]
I didn’t notice you were a mom, until I saw you try to carry your screaming toddler to the carts. Only pausing to take him back to your car and try to resolve whatever issue that resulted in a fit. After I got my kids settled in their car seats, I decided to “people watch” for a bit.
I saw you try to settle your son while fellow shoppers looked on in pity. I watched the bewilderment on your face as you put him in the seat of your cart and headed into the grocery store while he screamed at the top of his lungs.
I said a little prayer for you as you went inside. I prayed for your son to calm down so you could have a moment of peace while you shopped and enjoy Aldi in all its money saving glory.
I thought about helping you through your ordeal but with two young children of my own, there wasn’t really anything I could do. If anything, maybe you’re like me in the midst of a meltdown and want to be invisible. Yes, I know my kid’s screaming. You know they’re screaming. It’s obvious. Please ignore my situation. We all have our bad days. 😁
As of late, my 3 year old has been having toddler “episodes” of his own that can hinder us from leaving the house for a quick trip to get vitamins or milk or ANYTHING we actually need. I know what it is to have errands that need to get done with a child that will not cooperate. You are not alone.
I wanted to say something to you but that was not time. Also, I didn’t want to seem creepy so I wrote you this letter instead. Less creepy, right? I hope that your day got better and your son gave you a kiss or an “I love you” of his own free will. Those are the best and make everything better. If I see you again, I won’t mention this letter or say anything to you about it but know that you’re being thought of in a positive way. A tantrum is just a fleeting moment in the journey of motherhood. All moms (admit it or not) have dealt with tantrums at some point. In the meantime, I hope you recovered without too much effort and wish you many fit-free shopping trips in the future.
Until we see each other again at Aldi,
A Fellow Empathetic Mama ❤