Beyond mama having a bad day

We were walking around the mall yesterday and came across a mother, likely in her early thirties having a one-sided adult argument with her son, who looked about 10 or 11 years old. My heart just sank and a day later, I can't shake it. 

She was yelling at him, in the centre of a wide-open space, her eyes burning into him, going on about the car being in the shop and that there's nothing she can do until it's fixed. Her younger daughter stood on the sidelines and watched. 

Her son just stood there taking it with not even a bratty snarl on his face. He looked numb, while his mother proceeded to tell him that he was a jerk and then grabbed her younger daughter's hand and they marched off leaving him trailing behind. 

At that moment, I was so angry. And now, I am so sad. I'll never understand how some parents can't see their child as a child who depends solely on them in every aspect of their life. It is a child's right to act childish and think childishly, and be age-appropriately spoken to.

This goes beyond "mama having a bad day", and I wonder now if I should've defended him. Is it my obligation as a human being to step in and say something for those who aren't capable, such as a child. In that moment I wanted to irrationally call her a bitch and tell her to watch her mouth, but now I wish I had walked over and asked her, kindly, to please not speak to him like that and perhaps ask if there was something I could do to help make her day go more smoothly.

Only minutes later in a store, she walked passed me and my wee one, still hanging onto her daughter's hand and her son still trailing behind and she gave that, "Aw, your wee one is so cute" smile. I naturally smiled back, and held gaze and smiled at her son. I was eye level with him because I was knelt to the floor with the wee one and I noticed now that his lower eyes lids were bright red, but he didn't seem angry. After being so belittled by his world, he still had it in him to softly smile at me.

I wonder if he saw me watching earlier or if he just saw nothing but his mom looking down on him. I wonder if he felt totally alone in that moment and if he even knew that he shouldn't have to feel that way. Or maybe he knows his mom is just having a bad day and when the car is ready she's going to take them for ice cream and apologize for treating him that way and they spend the rest of the day in their Halloween costumes carving pumpkins and drinking apple cider and she reads him an extra story before bed that night and lays with him until he's asleep.

This isn't particularly directed at the mean mall mom, but I see first-hand people who bring children into this world and the love and respect they need to give doesn't come naturally. They must be oblivious to what this does to their child's growing heart and developing esteem. 

Last week when wee one's Grampa and GG were visiting, I said to Ryker something my mom has always said to me, "What's it like to be loved so much?" And my dad asked me, "Don't you know?"

Thank you mom and dad for knowing how to love and respect me.

28.10.12