I mostly am used to the stares and don't really pay attention to them. Usually they are from curious kids or adults who are not used to seeing a child in a wheelchair. But not noticing those common stares also means sometimes I miss other kinds of stares.

Went to Costco tonight with the family and stopped at the food court on the way in because the kids were hungry. I was focused on getting food, drinks, napkins, etc, so didn't notice when a woman saw my daughter as she was leaving the store, went back into the store, bought a stuffed plushie toy for her, and then proceed to give it to her, just because. This isn't the first time someone has been generous to us when they've seen my daughter (or even the first time it's happened at Costco!). It's hard not to feel embarrassed by the generosity, mostly because I don't want someone to act that way out of pity. Nothing about my daughter is pitiful. Instead, I try to see them just for what they are: thoughtful anonymous acts of kindness to a child.

I'm incredibly grateful when someone can look past the drool, the sometimes strange noises, or the wheel chair and see my daughter for the absolute delight that she is. So thank you to the kind woman tonight. We will pass the kindness on.


**I briefly posted this earlier this evening, but it was right in the middle of the USC vs. Utah game, so I decided to delete and repost later.