Momma Bear

We went grocery shopping this afternoon, and as I heaved the bags into the trunk of the minivan, two women started screaming at each other a few feet away from our cart. William and Owen sat in the front of the cart with their mouths hanging open as these two women hurled the most offensive profanities at one another. Something to do with someone not watching where they were driving and "were you f-ing trying to hit my car, you b!t(#?!"

Normally, I would have ignored these two loonies and just gone about my business with a shake of the head, thinking how sad it was that people had to be so rude and why can't we all just get along, etc etc. But as the yelling increased in volume and the air steadily became more blue, and my poor little boys eyes opened wider and wider, I finally decided enough was enough.

"Excuse me!" I yelled in their direction (oh great, I thought, now there are three loonies yelling in the parking lot), "EXCUSE ME! Would you PLEASE stop swearing! My children are listening to you!!!"

It didn't do much good - they continued to cuss each other out at full volume for a few more minutes, but as I drove home I reflected on how the need to protect your children from the ills of the world can often bring out the mother bear in us.

Just recently a friend of mine was involved in a hit and run whilst two of her three children were in the car with her. Her minivan was rear-ended with great force and the other car simply drove off. After having checked that her boys were okay, my friend did a stupid thing. She chased after the other car. She was furious that someone had endangered her children and didn't stick around to face the consequences, so she sped after them to get a plate number. The 911 operator she was on the phone with was calmly telling her to stop driving and wait for the police and the ambulance they were sending her way. In the end, she had to go to the hospital for a catscan and some stitches. And the other car? Although my friend did get most of the plate info, once the police ran it, it turned out to be stolen. Maybe not the smartest idea to chase after a stolen car (her own mother reamed her out for doing it! "What if they had turned around and rammed you? Or had guns?!") but she was doing what she thought was right at the time to protect her children.

Have you ever pulled a Momma Bear move? Have you ever done something you wouldn't normally do to protect or stand up for your loved ones?