Staying Off The Highway

Many years ago, we spent a Christmas vacation with our little year-and-a-half-old Seth with Jay's parents. On Christmas evening, we drove over to Jay's brother and sister-in-law's home to have dinner and see all the new gadgets and gizmos my niece and nephew had accumulated.

I'm no longer sure exactly what happened, but after dinner and after protecting the older kids' more expensive toys from my curious but very-likely-to-break-your-toy toddler Seth, I passed the point of no return and completely lost my cool. I wanted to leave...immediately...but Jay was having nothing to do with my temper tantrum. The next thing I remember, I was putting on my and Seth's coats, and announcing I was leaving and walking back to his parent's home.

I think there were some protests made and a few offering of rides (not from Jay who, no doubt, was pretending not to know me). I'm sure there was some major eyebrow raising and silent, "What is her problem?" glances around the room. But I rebuffed all reason and started on my huffy hike home.

I got a little way up the highway before Jay's mother pulled her SUV in front of me and opened the passenger door. Oh...did I not mention that my walk home involved walking along a highway?? At night? In the winter? With a baby on my hip??????? Seriously, as I recall my own lunacy, I'm sure I must have my facts wrong and this happened in the middle of the day during the summertime and I had a stroller for Seth. That puts my actions in a slightly less pathetic light....but unfortunately, no.

My mother-in-law said nothing about my behavior as she drove Seth and me the rest of the way home. As I was getting out, she told me she understood what it felt like to just be done for the day. With a tear in my eye, I told her, "Thank You" and watched her turn her vehicle around and head back to the party.

This story shames me. If I had crazy in-laws and they were doing obnoxious, insufferable things....my theatrics might have been justified. But they are the kindest, most patient, most loving people in the world. Their home was and is welcoming and completely absent of any kind of offense. This story exists only because its main character...me...exists. I have these moments. Moments when I become...well...a brat.

I've been a brat all week. There have been several instances of me sitting down to compose a post airing my grievances. Man...I almost did it again! Just now! I just had to delete an entire paragraph because I started paraphrasing my woe-be-gones (which is a shame, because some of them were pretty funny....but totally unnecessary and more importantly, eventually regrettable). Zip it, lady!

In an effort to prevent any future interventional highway-picking-up....I'm going to do just that.