The Editor,
I want to broadcast a random act of charity.
I had my three younger kids with me waiting for the Costco doors to open. It was rainy and cold and my kids were not happy campers. There was a lineup of people waiting for the doors to open. The few minutes before 10 a.m. felt like eternity waiting with three tired kids.
My six-month old was crying, wanting to be cuddled. My two-and-a-half-year-old was screaming because he wanted to go home. And my four-year-old was whining because, the night before, he went to bed late due to swimming lessons.
Yikes, a mom's nightmare: cranky kids like little sticks of dynamite ready to blow up.
Then I noticed a father with his two kids behind us, quietly and patiently waiting in their grocery cart. I wanted to explain to the lineup behind us that my kids went to bed late because their brothers had soccer and swimming the previous night really, my kids aren't always like this.
All I wanted to do was go in and pick up my son's birthday cake and take the kids home.
Sure enough, after what seemed like hours, the doors opened and the mad rush of frenzied shoppers sped through the aisles while my kids persisted in their behaviour.
When we finally got to the meat department, I heard a voice: "Would your child like a treat?" Assuming it was a Costco sample worker, I quickly said, "Yes, please!"
Then, I realized it was the father of the two kids from lineup. In empathy and a non-judgemental way, he looked in his diaper bag and pulled out a ring pop. I gave it to my two year old.
A friend saw what happened and I mentioned I don't normally reward this type of behaviour but he said, "Desperate times call for desperate measures!"
I felt like the kind gesture of giving a ring pop went deeper it meant "I care. I see you are having a difficult parenting moment and I care not to judge but to help."
After reflecting about it more, I realized not only are parents often humbled at grocery stores when children have their outbursts, they're then reciprocated with mean looks and sometimes rude comments.
But I will always be thankful for the dad who choose to empathize by simply giving us a ring pop and a non-judgemental comment, "Kids will be kids."
Our paths might never cross again but, to that father, I wanted to broadcast your act of charity.
Now, I challenge everyone as a Mother's Day gift to a stranger, pay it forward and pass a ring pop to a mother in need. Your act of charity might make all the difference.
Frances Maddalozzo,
Port Coquitlam
