An elderly lady was shopping in a supermarket and noticed a mother pushing her little girl in a shopping cart. The toddler was screaming as they moved through the isles, but the mother managed to maintain remarkable composure.
As the lady passed her, she overheard the mother calmly respond, “It’s okay, Janna, we’re going to be out of here pretty soon and then we can go home.”
The child's crying did not stop. When the lady passed the mother in another aisle, once again, she heard the mother's reverent tone, “Calm down Janna. We’re almost done and then we can go home.” The lady was amazed at the level of composure this young mother was demonstrating.
She soon found herself standing behind the mother at the checkout counter, and the child was still out of control. Then she heard the mother softly response, “Look Jenna, all we have to do is pay for the groceries and we’re out of here, won’t that be nice?”
The lady was so impressed with the mother’s self-control, that she couldn't hold back her comment, “I admire how well you are handling your daughter, Janna's tantrum.” “Oh, thank you,” said the mother, “But my daughter’s name is Amber. My name is Janna.”
I empathize with this story. When I was raising my children, several times, I had to coach myself to endure to the end and hoped the end was near. Most parents can relate to similar experiences. The great moral to this story is: those amazing individuals who are capable of remaining calm, in the midst of chaos, are uplifting and inspiring to others. Children, as well as adults, learn through the consistency of calm responses and not from the sharp disapproval or criticism of their loved ones. By Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.
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