What Do We Have Here?

This year, my child has the distinction, if not the privilege, of being one of the later schools to start back. Some of her comrades will have started back as much as a week and a half before she does later this week. It’s been a challenging time in our home with two working parents and all of the summer camps already dried up and dusty, settling in for a restful off-season. This morning, I worked from home and then I took her to lunch before handing her off and returning to the office. As she sat across from me in a lunch restaurant, decked out in shorts and a t-shirt, our waitress had this somewhat accusatory and presumptuous exchange with her:

Betty*:  [Looking over her order pad at my lunch date’s attire and very presence] What? Did you decide not to go to school today?

My precious girl (MPG):  Umm…no. We haven’t started.

Betty:  You haven’t started?? Well, when do you go back??

MPG:  Thursday.

Betty:  Thursday?! Hmmph. Well…

Sitting here listening to this exchange, I had a couple of thoughts, the first shared by my daughter, after Betty made her exit, of course. “What’s it to you, Betty? Maybe she’s home schooled. Maybe she’s a genius and has already graduated. Maybe she was on the ground floor of a tech start up that went public when she was 8. Did you ever think of that, Betty?”

Then the tables turned and  it was I who became judgemental. “How dare you, Betty, unleash the Spanish Inquisition on my baby girl?”

Luckily, the restaurant was full and the service was slow so I was afforded the appropriate amount of time to ponder before Betty’s return. During this time of reflection, I realized the times I jumped to conclusions, making what was more-than-likely a wrong assumption.

I thought about how innocently my daughter handled it and what a kind heart she has. And it all made me realize how easy it is to jump to conclusions and how hard it is to know the whole story before taking that leap.