The Day a Tense Store Line Taught a Woman About Compassion

We've all occasionally found ourselves in public places observing parents trying to manage unruly or tantruming children. Bystanders' reactions often range from clucking about 'kids and parents these days' to... calling the police. That's exactly what Meghan Orr Burnside from the U.S. did a few years ago, and she regrets it to this day. "A few years back, I was at a gas station with my husband and saw a woman struggling to put her ten-year-old into the car," she wrote recently on her Facebook page. "He was screaming and she was so angry and frustrated. We saw her get him into the car, and there was a lot of physical struggle. It seemed like she was hitting him, so I called the police. The police arrived as we left. They called me later to tell me the child was autistic and the mother was genuinely struggling to restrain him. She had previously asked for police assistance because he could be very violent. They told me they helped her and she was doing her best."

Burnside felt awful. "I realized my mistake. In my eagerness to protect the child, I didn't offer the mother help. Instead, I 'snitched' on her to the authorities." However, she says she learned her lesson.

"A few weeks ago, I was in a thrift store, and in line in front of me was a mom with two children. One of the toddlers was acting up while the other kept asking to buy things. She was upset and about to lose it... People just stood there watching her struggle. I remembered my previous experience at the gas station, approached the little boy, and gently put my hand on his leg. He calmed down. The mother was overwhelmed and apologized. She told me she works nights and can't think straight during the day. I knew there were other things going on, but at that moment, I told her I understood what it feels like to be overwhelmed. I told her she was a good mom and that everything was going to be okay. Guys, she started to cry... A few years prior, I would have had my phone ready to see if there was something I could report. There is a place for authority involvement, but we've become a culture that looks for others' faults instead of seeking opportunities to help. If we helped others more, there would be less need to involve authorities."

Burnside's post quickly went viral, garnering many comments and shares. Especially poignant responses came from parents who found themselves in that situation: struggling publicly with a special needs child or dealing with a challenging child while managing their illness, and encountering criticism and threats instead of a helping hand. The consensus? As Burnside concluded her post: "When people are overwhelmed and unable to cope, they need a helping hand, not condemnation."