Dear stranger,

It’s about 9 o’clock at night and you’re in line in a brightly-lit grocery store, waiting to pay for two bottles of orange juice. You stand in front of the cashier with your shoulders slumped and eyes glazed. A small boy, who I take to be your son, bounces around you, grabbing onto your jacket and grabbing at the bottles while you absentmindedly attempt to shoo him away. He looks about four, with ruffled black hair and a boyish smile.

Stranger, you look exhausted. I think you’re in your early thirties, but your hair is speckled with white and the bags under your eyes look permanent. Your expression is weary as you tell your son to not touch anything or run around. Even your words sound tired, as if they’ve been recycled so many times they’ve lost almost all meaning.

But your son ignores you and runs around to the booth in which the cashier stands — as you sigh deeply and tell him not to, yet again. Frustrated and embarrassed, you swipe at his head with your credit card and tell him in Chinese to get out of the booth. He ignores you and grabs at the plastic grocery bags stored next to the counter, trying in his innocent way to help you. You push him lightly on the head but firmly enough to show you mean business as the cashier looks on awkwardly. He goes back around but then tries to carry the bag with the bottles away. His small arms can barely support the weight and you chastise him again impatiently. Even though you’re clearly irritated, it’s nice that you don’t raise your voice at him.

You look a bit agitated now, as if you think this shameful incident has caused those around you to look down on you as a man who can’t control his own son. But I think you should treasure these small moments, stranger. Maybe someday you’ll remember this and laugh. You’ll tell your son about his antics and both of you will chuckle and shake your heads, reminiscing about the days when the biggest worry between the two of you was being slightly embarrassed at a grocery store.

These hectic days won’t last forever, stranger. Someday your little son will be all grown up. So enjoy this while you can. He seems like a cute kid.

Sincerely,
Amelia