Getting it

To the lady at Walmart who was looking for something good for her vegetarian-food-loving son when I was hoping to find something yummy myself while my youngest was bordering on (yet another) fit.

THANK YOU.

You came up to me at the register and told me you get it. (of course, I internally rolled my eyes expecting how difficult your temper tantrum-throwing toddler was and how just the *right* hard discipline/love/ignoring/sticker-chart/positive parenting/some other thing we've tried and failed or just "didn't work hard enough at" method cleaned that right up!) Then said you have a special needs child and you understand and were impressed with my patience and grace and calmness when my child, after ripping it off of her sister's head, threw a favorite object on top of the freezer, out of reach, started yelling (again) in the store and I just responded with a shoulder shrug, gentle head shake, and a calm, "I'm sorry you chose to do that. I can't fix it for you." and moved on.
Your kind words and hug meant the world to me and definitely brought a tear.
As a special needs parent yourself, I'm sure you knew that I was expecting to get yelled at for my loud, "special needs" child's behavior. The last "helping" stranger chastised and threatened to call the police on me because I didn't have shoes on her. You threw me off guard. Thank you.