Last night, I was at a nearby international grocery store getting some late night shopping done (i.e. sans kids).
I turned into an empty aisle and came across a youngster in a half filled cart. Like, an under two year old boy, all alone. He was sitting in the cargo area of the cart, leaning precariously on one side. He kept trying to get up to sit on the edge of the cart.
I looked around and didn’t see anyone one nearby that seemed to be keeping an eye on him. The boy gurgled and smiled at me as he threw one leg over the side of the cart.
“Uh oh!” I exclaimed, still trying to find someone who would claim this child.
Nobody was around.
And so I did what any mother would do. I stayed with the boy and made sure he was safe. We played my kids’ favorite I’m Bored games to keep him distracted–peekaboo, buzzing tickling fingers, chomping hands…
Soon enough, although it felt like a long time, a frazzled-looking woman rushed into the aisle and looked startled to see me playing with her son. The child and I were laughing at this point but I could tell she regarded me suspiciously.
I told her she has a charming baby, and I was on my way.
Maybe I should have done more. I don’t know. I just hope that if it were my kid, someone trustworthy would occupy him and ensure his safety too.
You did the right thing, and you were a blessing to that mother.
You were a blessing, but I would have said something nice with a bitchy undertone.