Real Life at the movie store

I know, I know, I know in my heart not to judge other parents. I don't know what they had going on in their day....or how many buttons their kid has already pushed. I know sometimes I have said something I regretted shortly after to the little people in my life. I know sometimes I still say things I regret to the still growing up people in my life.

I talk out of being too busy or frustrated or tired....or....or....or. The reason(s) are unimportant. The fact is I have said things to the people in my family that I would NEVER say out loud to someone else. So have they. That makes me sad.

I'm not trying to sound judgmental. Maybe it was more of an observation that struck a memory on that day. Our daughter and I were at the movie store (doesn't sound right to say "video" store anymore). There were some smaller kids running around and looking at movies. One started to kind of whine or cry. Then the mom said loudly "shut up"....more than once. I wasn't around the corner to see the look on the mom or kid's face. The other people in the store seemed to carry on business as usual...and glance away....and I guess I did too....and that made me frustrated.

I wanted to go up so badly and say something, but what? To a stranger no less. Not to tell her not to talk that way, but to say sounds like you're having a rough day. Can I sit with your kid a few minutes while you finish looking around? We live in a society where that seems no longer acceptable.

The other thing that made me frustrated was if that is how this kid was being talked to in public, how do they get talked to at home? AND this is just one family. This is my family sometimes.

In the movies, many have a happy ending. I don't know the ending of this real life drama. I walked out of the movie store and I write this....to remind myself that life will not always be fairy tales and happy endings. We're not characters in a movie. We are moms and dads that have flaws and get tired and make mistakes. Our kids are not always smiling and bright-eyed. They are kids that had a rough day at school and get tired and make mistakes.

I want to remind myself that how I talk to my kid matters. In real life, anywhere, it matters. 

Colossians 3:20-21 (NIV) 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Malachi 4:6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents