Grocery Store Patience
A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three year old
girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child
asked for cookies and her mother told her "no." The little girl
immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly,
"Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through;
don't be upset. It won't be long!"
He passed the Mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little
girl began to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn't have
any, she began to cry.
The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only two more
aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out."
The man again happened to be behind the pair at the check-out, where
the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a
terrible tantrum upon discovering there would be no gum purchased
today.
The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this check out
stand in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice
nap."
The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to
compliment her.
"I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Ellen..."
The mother broke in, "My little girl's name is Tammy...I'm Ellen."