Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I was exhausted from a busy week prior. I was also wishing we could celebrate it secretly so the excitement of something different and making things for mommy didn’t affect my son on the spectrum. I really wanted to go to bed.

But today is my mom’s birthday. For various reasons we were not able to solidify birthday plans with her until yesterday. So, I needed to go to the store and purchase the goods to make a birthday breakfast for Nana. I knew if I waited I would want to go even less, and I was not about to take both boys in the morning on the way to the celebration.

I went in my “sweatpants”, knit top, jacket, no jewelry. I knew as I was walking out the door that I looked nothing like the jewelry lady and I didn’t care. At least not enough to turn around and fix it.

I got to the checkout line, and the best bet seemed to be a self-check lane. The ones with the twelve item minimum were packed, so I got behind a lady with more items whose child was screaming. I wasn’t in a rush, just trying to stay awake on my feet, so I was quite content to stand and wait.

As I got closer, I could see the harried look on her face.  Hmmm…I’ve felt that way before. It’s Mother’s Day, and this woman is trying to get out of the store before the ugly stares and comments start. “Could I help you?” I asked. She paused. “Do you want me to help you pack up your things, or is it faster if I just talk to him?” I leaned over and said hi to her little boy. Turns out Connor was almost 2 and a very tired little boy. As soon as I started talking to him he was fine. I was able to distract him so Mommy could finish bagging her items and pay for her groceries. He actually interacted with me and was happy to have someone to talk to.

She was in jeans and a sweatshirt herself. I think perhaps if I had been in my jewelry lady attire I may have intimidated her. I am thankful, though, for a company that puts emphasis on serving others and has encouraged me to look beyond myself and my business and focus on helping others.

I thought back to a comment from a friend of mine earlier in the week. She is obviously pregnant and has a 2 and 3 year old. She was in the grocery store gathering dirty looks as they were both out of sorts the other day. How hard is it to have sympathy and compassion? Most of us have been there, and if not, we should be able to understand tired, crabby, hungry kids.

So here’s my challenge to you. Think of a way that you can help someone else. Reach out. It will put a smile on their face and yours.