What a funny place to learn a lesson, but that’s the thing…growth is on its own timing if you’re open to it.
Like many of you reading this, it was back-to-school week in our small town.
That included all the things: first day photos, new sneakers, failed attempts to produce “aesthetic lunches” for my middle schooler…
….and of course the hectic, slow, long car pickup lines that typically come with the first week frenzy.
I don’t know about your crew, but there’s a morning debate in our car about who goes first (two kiddos at separate schools). Sometimes I decide based on who went first yesterday, and sometimes I rule you go first if you didn’t eat breakfast at home so you can try to grab the cafeteria muffin before the bell rings.
Well, this morning my fifth grader lost out, or won, whichever way you look at it, and gets dropped off first.
Now, one thing you gotta know about me. I let a lot in life roll off my back, like a duck in water; I don’t typically get my panties in a wad over what other people are doing, what they’re saying, or how they’re conducting their business. But for some reason, car pickup line offenders grind my gears. Don’t be trying to cut in on the side street. Nope, you’ve got to loop all the way around ALL the traffic patterns like the rest of us, and please, and I mean please, for the love of God pull all the way up to the first cone so as many children can get in and out of the car as possible!! I’m trying to get to the gym quickly before I start work. Let’s GO people. Again, I reiterate, please pull all the way to the front cone!
Well, what do you know? This very morning. Two cars ahead of me and nowhere near close to the first cone, this vehicle stops dead center in front of the school door, very much to my disliking. Unfortunately, in a raw display of immaturity in front of my children, no less, I immediately begin making shooing signals with my hands and fight the urge to lay on the horn. Thank God I have some semblance of self-control and know better than to tap the horn in front of my child’s learning institution at 7:37 in the morning on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, August 26, 2026.
Meanwhile, my beautiful, loving teenager is watching me unravel in real time and starts trying to coach me, ” Mom, chill! OH my GOSH, Mom, chill out!” and you guys, the car door opens and out steps a darling student with a walking disability. Yes, true story. This sweet darling baby gently walks into the front doors of the school with an obvious walking impairment.
IMMEDIATE. INTERNAL. EXTERNAL. PERSONAL. FAMILIAL. EMBARRASSMENT!!
Thank God I didn’t lay on the horn. Thank God I didn’t show my tail in car line. (I kinda did, to my children) Thank God this sweet baby got into school safe and sound with zero knowledge of my mental impatience, and of course, immediately my middle schooler chastised me.
I instantly began apologizing profusely to my babygirl sitting in the passenger seat next to me, praying for forgiveness as she was actively parenting her parent…..yikes. Start praying forgiveness for my thoughts and actions and THANK GOD I was only seen by the two people who love me unconditionally in this world, my children.
I could not believe it- that me, yes me, the person who considers herself incredibly patient and inclusive, the person that will go toe to toe with the “don’t leave your shopping cart buggy in the parking lot” warriors on social media because good gosh dang you have no idea if it was a grandma or a mama with postpartum anxiety that left that cart in the middle of the parking lot. Yes, me, the person that considers herself to have a large serving of empathy for the general public with a healthy side serving of “Let Them Theory,” was here on a Wednesday morning caught in the middle of a humbling.
So I did the best I could: apologize to my daughter, own that I was a jerk. Mentally acknowledged I am so very sorry. Wow, I just learned a lesson. Thank you, God, for that child, and for my child. Thank you, God, for this lesson, and I quickly and humbly moved on about my day….
But the moment didn’t leave me.
I couldn’t help but think, here I am, a week shy of turning 44, and I’M STILL LEARNING!!!
We may think we know what’s going on behind the closed door of somebody’s home or the closed door of somebody’s car, but I promise you we don’t. I really thank God for that moment this morning… to humble me just a little bit and remind me that sometimes, whether there’s a reason or not, you just let people be people. You let them pull up in carline the way they pull up and let the resource officer or the school faculty deal with the conundrum. Focus on your own internal piece. Stay. In. Your. Lane. Marjorie. Always.
And that, my friends, is how I was humbled, in car line on the first week of school.
Love and hugs,
Marjorie
Pic of my first day attempt at a Pinterest-worthy lunch.
Marjorie Hope 