An Open Letter To Marcus' Mom

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Hi, Marcus' Mom!

I'm the woman who was seated at a window table, enjoying my overpriced beverage while watching people in the store and in the cars that circled the building to get to the drive-through. Your son walked up and asked if he could sit with me.

I was fine with it. He shared my amusement at people who seemed to think they were invisible because they were in their cars. Over the course of our conversation, he imparted the following information:
  • The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are named after real artists and he wants to learn about them.
  • Some people are left-handed and some people are right-handed. He hasn't decided which hand he'll be.
  • He wants to try sushi, but only if it's cooked.
And then there's this last bit, probably what he would most want you to know:
  • One of his favorite things to do is ride in the car and look at cows. He likes to hear you and his dad talk while he's looking at cows.  He said he doesn't have anything to say, but you keep asking him if he's okay because he's so quiet. He's fine. Hearing your conversation while y'all roll by the cows is his happy place.

If I sound like I had a good time, it's because I did. Your son is funny, adorable, and smart!  However, I could not stop being a little concerned for this little boy. Where was his grownup? It took me almost a minute of looking around the shop to connect him to you. When I did and we made eye contact, you smiled and shrugged, as if to ask if it was okay. I nodded and smiled back.

But here's the thing, Marcus' Mom, what if it hadn't been me sitting at that table? What if the person was unkind to him?  What if they went beyond words and hurt your sweet little boy? ​Maybe I'm being too cautious. I've always said if I had a child, I'd be like the mom in "Little Giants" who encased her kid in bubble wrap.  Let me make a suggestion: The next time your little guy decides to test the social waters, maybe you should accompany him to be sure the people he approaches are the kind of people you would want talking to your child.