some of you who are personal friends with me on facebook may have seen my status update on saturday:
Hannah Blood
thinking the lady nursing her babe in her car @ a rest stop misunderstood my enthusiastic smile and thumbs up…
April 16 at 1:16pm via BlackBerry
and seriously said incident has had me randomly bursting out belly laughing for four days.
oyevay.
it was just one of those things where when you’re in the moment you see the misunderstanding unfolding but there’s no way to change it. no special sign attached to your vehicle you can program the words, “OH WAIT! NO! that’s not what i meant! i’m a mom too. and i’ve spent the better part of the last two years nursing a child in a car in a rest stop. all i meant was, kudos to you!”
trust me lady, i’m not some areola stalking creep in a minivan. and even scarier…do i really look like one?
i remember traveling with j when he was only a few months old. can’t remember where we were headed, but we were solo, we were in justin’s then honda accord, and it was absolutely pouring.
the memory is kind of foggy – but we pulled up along side a convenience store, still a good ways from home. it was the kind of “i need food NOW” scream that i knew wasn’t going to subside or let up. the rain was so torrential that i opted to climb in between the front seats and into the back (with a rear facing infant seat in the middle of the back seat=almost touching the two front seats) to avoid total drenching.
now, yes, you’re right. we should have had the swagger back then. would have been a breeze.
i don’t think i’ll ever forget sitting in the back of that car. the thunderous rain beating down upon us. feeling safe and secure; my son warm and content on my chest.
and being so thankful for that rain in that moment – for it’s sheeting strength, blinding wind; it’s cover. although we were parked inches from other cars and numerous people, we were hidden.
if a woman in a minivan had glanced in, smiled and given me a thumbs up i would have taken it.
i would have smiled wildly back. the warm, i’m with you, smile that only moms to moms can give. and really get.
so nursing moms in cars in random public places, have at it. you are doing an amazing job. next time i come across one of you i may, eh, scale down my enthusiasm. but i will still acknowledge the beauty and the goodness with the i get you smile.
and if you’re a guy (or a gal) who likes boobs you should have gained some seriously golden knowledge from this post: when in convenience store parking lots and rest areas, look for the wide eyed lady sitting shot gun with a large lump in her arms. chances are you might just spy an areola or two. just sayin.
