Peace, Joy & Panties

I've worked hard to come to terms with the fact that I can't have everything I want. I sometimes feel disappointed and sometimes angry but most of the time I manage to put on my big-girl panties and act like a grown-up. My kids have trouble embracing the big-girl panties but since they are children, this is to be expected. Stan and I lead them toward good character development every chance we get and slowly we're seeing progress. We have hopes that by the time we send them out into the world as legal adults they'll actually know how to behave accordingly.

Unfortunately, there are far too many people in the world around me who are not wearing their big-girl panties or big-boy briefs. Here's my message to the grumpy, huffy scrooge behind me at the grocery store. If you step out of line at the grocery store - even to pick up a rose for your honey - you should not expect the 5 people in line at the only open register to wait for you. You're lucky that the guy you cut in front of (trying to get back to your spot) didn't wallop you. Yes I have a lot of stuff. Yes I have coupons. This is my only toddler-free moment all day so I'm not going to speed things up for you. The cashier, bless his heart, looks totally beat at the end of a long day; I don't think he wants to rush either. Maybe if you were nicer, the cashier would have cared that you saved your spot with a box of croissants, but probably not. One cashier and a store-full of customers - there's not a whole lot he could have done for you.

The cashier kept his calm. The other customers looked on in various states of amusement or boredom. I managed to get out of the store without glaring at the guy. Most of us, it seems, were wearing adult-sized under-garments. Christmas spirit, love & good cheer won out that evening. Here's hoping for more moments when I lose control and goodness and good undies preside.