Sometimes things happen to me, and I feel it laid on my heart to share them with you because somewhere I am sure there is a mama having all the same feels, and we need to band together as a community to support one another as we journey through this thing called m o t h e r h o o d…
Yesterday evening we went out to dinner for my grandma’s birthday — nothing fancy, just the local Mexican joint. But, as we were eating dinner, the chaos that was our table was certainly getting the attention of nearly every single person in the restaurant. It was our whole family, so it was a table of 15+, including 6 kids, 1st grade and under. Can you picture it? There was giggling, screaming, crying… you name it. And the table of 3 ladies next to us, enjoying what seemed to be a “girls night,” just couldn’t keep their eyes off of us — or their dirty looks for that matter. I heard them murmur a few things they thought were quiet to themselves about loud kiddos and what they used to do when they were out. I just rolled my eyes… Come on ladies! Give us a break! They’re kids! Plus, it’s a Thursday night, and we’re all exhausted from the week! Furthermore, we were trying the best we could to keep them occupied with what we had available. It worked for a little while as you might guess, but they got bored… quickly.
Had I been in my early 20s, I am sure that I would have thrown a dirty look or talked about them behind their backs, saying how appalled I was by their children’s behavior… can we not just enjoy a dinner in peace? But these ladies were well into their 50s and 60s and should have known better than to shoot a judgmental look at a table full of tired parents just trying to enjoy a night out with their family.
Have a little grace.
I am sure most mamas can agree that going out to dinner is really more of a chore with kids. So, I guess what I’m trying to say to the rest of those sitting in a restaurant next to a table like ours last night is: give us a break! We know what we sound like, which is why we don’t do this often. Again, a little grace, please, to my 3-year-old and 1-year-old.
