one of the rare ones

you do you.

unapologetically, fearlessly you.

embrace it. love it.

don't waste your time fitting in.

don't conform to narrow minds and expectations.

Easier said than done, right?

A few weeks ago, I had to go to Aldi. It's our staple stop for guacamole, chocolate hummus, and whole milk for Hannah and Eddie. I buy a lot. It probably looks like hoarding, I get it- most people don't go through 28 guacamole packs in a week. Will tells me all of the time that I shouldn't care so much what people think, but I rarely make it through a grocery run without comments about 'How hungry my kids must be,' or 'How I must really like greek yogurt,' or best yet, (and my favorite employee comment), 'I guess there won't be any left for anyone else.' Got it. Thanks.

So here I am, power walking through Aldi, trying not to catch Covid, and I stop to wait for the lady in front of me, my social six feet and all. I can see it on her face before the words leave her mouth.

-Insert rude comments and questions about the stuff in my cart-

Like always, I patiently describe my kids, their feeding needs, how we rely on the foods in my cart for daily caloric intake.

And here is where I was completely dumbstruck. 'You mean they were born that way!? and they'll always just be like that!? and it won't change!?' But the worst part was the look on her face. Disdain? Disgust? Utter disapproval for anyone different from normal?

Generally, I just let it go. Yeah, I complain to Will- tell him it pisses me off. He tells me not to let it get to me. I joke about asking other WalMart shoppers about the things in their carts, 'Oh! I see you've got super Tampax today!'

Maybe it's the added stress of Covid-cation, but this one really hit me. Deep. Like tears in the check out line deep. Pull myself together before getting in the car so Eli doesn't see me upset kind of deep.

I just don't get it. Why is it that humans think this is ok? Aren't we supposed to build one another into better versions of each other?

Thus, the reason for me sharing this particular bit of our daily life:
I don't get to judge what goes in your cart.
You don't get to judge the baggage I carry.

We all just do the best with what we've got. Some days are full of Judgy McJudgerson at Aldi. But not most days. Most days I walk away knowing that I don't need to apologize for what I'm carrying. Most days I choose to be unapologetically me.