I was so upset today while having lunch with our family that I was brought to tears because of the disrespectful behavior of a stranger. After Church we decided to take the kids to Burger King for lunch. While we were waiting in line the kids were so excited and did not contain it. There was a couple in their 50s who kept staring at us, blatantly, who were waiting in line behind us. Noah was talking non stop, Elijah was slapping his belly, as he usually does when he is excited and Jordyn was circling us with joy. Our order took a very long time and while we were waiting the lady kept rolling her eyes at us and the kids. At one point the ladys behavior was so rude that my husband, who never would normally say anything to anyone, said to her, what???. I took the kids over to a table to try to deescalate their annoyance and while she walked by our table she looked at us and said, Oh my word!!!. After we served the kids their lunch and they were settled she continued to stare at us from her table. I got up and walked over to her table and asked her and her husband if something was wrong and why she was so upset. She said, Between the screaming and slapping she couldnt think straight and the kids should not act like that in a restaurant. I told her my children were simply excited to be having lunch together. I also told her that all three of my children fall on the Autism Spectrum and that her judgement hurt me. She said, I didnt know that. I asked her politely to consider that in the future and to not pass judgement so quickly. As I was sitting there eating lunch, I thought about the judgement that I had in my twenties in similar situations. Although I may not have been as rude as she was, I would have definitely had thoughts along the line of, bad parenting, lack of discipline etc. I would not have considered that the parents were intentionally doing everything they knew to do, or that all children are created beautifully unique and express themselves just as uniquely. My thoughts continued as I thanked God for giving me the beautiful children he did. They have stretched me in ways I have never thought possible and positively changed me in ways I didnt even realize needed changing. I have so much grace in my life, for not only my children but for all human beings. I have learned that life is not perfect, nor human beings, but we are designed perfectly in Him and should always extend the same grace to those around us as He does to us.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 19:36:19 +0000
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