Simone was misbehaving in Safeway today (so what else is new?). So I grabbed the cart she was pushing. It stopped and she didn’t. Forehead, meet cart handle. Anyway, it was a gentle tap worthy of a hardy wail. I applied a loving kiss. Undeterred, she continued her fit as we headed for the car. I heard Elizabeth say, “Simone, you’re embarrassing Dad.”
I thought for a second and honestly said, “No she’s not. I’m disappointed. But I’m not embarrassed.”
Point of that story? I frankly was not embarrassed. Nor was I worried about what others in the store might be thinking. Nor was I feeling like a horrible parent.
Much has changed in the past year or two.
Oh, and Simone didn’t get to have desert tonight. And the gentle tap on her head didn’t leave a mark. And if someone at the store called social services, they haven’t caught up with me yet.