Pillow Talk

As a busy mom, multitasking is my superpower. Whether it's folding laundry while answering emails or wearing my little one while grocery shopping, I thrive on efficiency. On this particular day, I was doing just that—wearing my sweet, sleeping baby in a mei tai baby carrier while navigating the aisles of the local Trader Joe's.
Everything was going smoothly. My baby was nestled comfortably against me, and we were nearing the finish line—checkout. As I stood in line, rocking gently to keep my little one snoozing, the man behind me struck up a conversation. He admired my sleeping baby and said with a warm smile, "You've got a handsome little son there."
I smiled and nodded, feeling that familiar glow of parental pride. But then he kept going.
"My wife tried using a baby carrier with our son, but he wasn’t comfortable. Her chest was too... boney," he continued, and I could feel the train of awkwardness starting to build steam. "Your guy, though, it looks like he’s sleeping on pillows!"
Cue the record scratch.
The words left his mouth, and I could see the exact moment he realized the compliment had taken a sharp turn into the realm of cringe. His face flushed, and he looked like he wanted to teleport out of the store. I didn't know whether to laugh or hide myself.
Meanwhile, the poor cashier clearly picked up on the vibe and was now laser-focused on bagging my groceries at lightning speed. I’ve never seen someone pack eggs, bread, and bananas that fast!
I kept it together, though, giving a polite, tight-lipped smile and praying the checkout would finish so I could escape the awkwardness. We’ve all had those moments where someone means well, but the words just don’t land right.

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