TO THE STRANGER AT TARGET..."THANK YOU!"

I've lost count of how many times someone has come up to me at a store, the park, the doctor's office, etc. and said something not so nice about how many children I have.  I've heard it all "You do know how that happens right?"  "Are y'all done yet?"  "Are you trying to keep up with the Duggars?"  "Wow!  You're brave!  I would go insane!"  "Now that you have a girl are you done?"  "Don't you miss your "me" time?"  "You really have your hands full."   I've heard more but won't list them all.  The point is that none of these things are nice to say to someone, especially a complete and total stranger, and especially when all four of my children are standing next to me and can hear you!  Ok, Jude is too little to understand but believe me, the other three are listening, they do understand what you are saying, and it does affect them.  

I wonder if these people that have said these things to me would like it if every time they went out with their husband/wife someone came up to them and asked "why did you marry him/her?"  "You should have spent more time dating before you got married!"  "You do know divorce is an option right?"  I guarantee they wouldn't like it at all.  They'd probably feel pretty bad about themselves and become insecure about going out in public even.   

Every time I hear one of these ridiculous comments, I defend my kids and make sure my kids hear me standing up for them.  When someone says "wow, you really have your hands full"  I tell them "yes, full of little blessings!"  I want my kids to know that I do not regret having them.  I do not mind taking them out with me.  I love having a lot of kids.  I love every moment of it...even the chaos that does happen sometimes.  My kids are my blessings, my treasures, my gifts from God.  

Last week I was at Target (I'm there a lot), Jude was in the Ergo, Liam and Alanna were buckled in one of the huge carts, and Ruy was walking next to me.  As we passed by the baby section, a woman was walking by us.  She stopped me and said "excuse me, are all of these children yours?!"  I was half expecting another not so nice comment to come from her but the kind expression she had on her face told me otherwise.  I told her they were all mine and a huge smile spread across her face.  "Wow!"  she said.  "Blessings...all little blessings!  That is just amazing and wonderful!  Blessings!"  She was so so sweet and told me how wonderful it was that I had four children.  I told her thank you and that what she said meant a lot and then we went on our way.  

As we walked toward the grocery section, Ruy said "Wow Mom, that was rare.  No one ever says we are blessings!"  

That made my heart hurt.  What is wrong with our culture that kids are viewed as such a burden.  I'm not saying that every one has to have four kids, ten kids, or twenty kids.  But children are a blessing, not a burden! So please, stop saying hurtful things to me about my children in front of my children.  They are listening...they hear you...they have feelings!!!  

So to the stranger at Target..."Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words about my children!  You will never know how much it meant to me.  You will never know how much it meant to my kids.  

{Psalm 127:3}

 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.

{Photo Credit:  Lindsey Martin Photography}