Do not make her mad...

FAFLL #3 (File away for laughing later)

Mom is very stubborn. When I take her to the store she likes to walk behind me. She refuses to walk side-by-side and will not allow me to hold her hand or arm. If I stop and wait for her to catch up, she stops behind me and waits for me to start walking again... the true meaning of getting nowhere fast. It's been this way for years and I've just gotten used to it.  She always follows and as long as she is safe, I allow her the small amount of freedom.

Today she just did not want to be with me.  At all.  As I was standing in Target looking at a product, I let Mom stop about 20 feet away.  I was watching her out of the corner of my eye.  I saw her moving and looked up just as she made a beeline for an older woman who was about 20 feet beyond her. Unfortunately, her beelines are fast!  I finally caught up to them but not before Mom grabbed the woman from behind and was yanking on the arm of the woman's jacket.  Mom was yelling, “Come on! She's waiting for you! Do NOT make her mad!”  The woman had a startled expression that, while it was humorous, it wasn't laugh worthy. Oh, no. That look came as the woman saw me running at them both... her eyes were huge and I saw the very instant that the “Do not make her mad!” truly sank in.

I pulled Mom off of her, smiled, and made an apology to the woman. She looked from me to Mom and the understanding dawned. She nodded and gave me a sad smile. The entire incident was over in a flash.

The FAFLL moment is lasting much longer.