This is a true story.  As a mother of four children who have grown up, I was with one in a big box electronics store recently.  He managed to grow up and I managed to survive. I have been in the situation that this father was in yesterday in the computers and tablets department.

First, I saw a red Etch a Sketch fly in front of me and land with a plastic shattering crunch on the floor.  I took in a deep breath hoping it was not an expensive electronic piece from off a shelf in that department.  I heard a tantrum start up.

“I hate this,” “I hate this “, “I hate this” screamed a well-dressed and very upset, toddler girl.  I had shopped for hours in that store and I shared her sentiment.  She was in a special stroller that was bright red, with room for two toddlers.  It had a yellow and red striped top.  It also had two pretend steering wheels that did not cause the stroller to change direction.  I think this is what set this adorable little girl off.  She screamed loud and louder.

There was a second child in the fake car.  He started to scream.  He was louder than the little girl. I watched as she wiggled out of the red plastic car.  Her partner in crime could not, or would not, form words.  He screamed so loud that everyone in computers and tablets except for the father and me had found somewhere else to be.

The father made a magical move.  He caught the little girl child screamer and put her on the striped roof tent of the fake car.  He also removed the little boy from the stroller and put him on top of the striped roof tent of the fake car.  This was a choice I would not have made. The little ones both were screaming and were kicking their legs, too.  I am sure that some employee had dialed 911.  I wanted to offer the man help, but my son came to me holding a $1,400 laptop he thought I might buy for myself.

A blink later, I saw that the car stroller had been abandoned by the side of the aisle.  The father had taken the children, who were still screaming, to the door which had an airlock.  The sound of the children was muffled.  I offered a sympathetic look to the father as he headed into the cold rain outside with his children.  He put them into his car and strapped them into car seats.  He drove off and there was an eerie silence after he left

 I did buy this computer.

My youngest son grew up. I love him more and more each day. I hold his heart in my pocket.  He stopped throwing tantrums in preschool.  He potty trained himself.  He is an excellent driver, and I do not know who taught him.  He does dishes.  He vacuums.  He sweeps the wood floors.  He grocery shops, He has read all the books that I cherish.

As I grow older, he grows smarter.  I love him more and more each day as I hope the father of the toddlers in the electronics store will live to love his daughter and son.