Bathroom Buddies

I have witnessed many things during my numerous trips to Wal-Mart, but this morning topped just about every other experience I've ever had there. It literally changed the course of a young woman's life. While I waited for The Cuteness to potty, a young woman entered the restroom and chose a stall. After a few minutes, I heard her exclaim, "Oh, no! Oh, no...oh, God, no!"  Thinking perhaps she was on her cell phone, I ignored it and continued to wait until my assistance was requested from The Cuteness. Soon, the young woman, opened the stall door

She looked at me with wet eyes and said, "Can I ask you a question?" Always ready to impart wisdom or opinion, I responded in the affirmative. "Is it hard to be 21 and have a baby?" she asked as she brandished a newly peed upon pregnancy test. What I wanted to say was, "Hell, it's hard to be 42 and have a baby!" But instead, I smiled and said, "Oh, honey...let me buy you a cup of coffee," as I steered her to the McDonald's restaurant inside the store.

Her name was Lydia and she was terrified. She was in a fairly new relationship and wasn't sure of the reaction of the baby's father. She chattered for a while as I simply nodded and smiled. She needed to process the information and I was a willing sound board...a stranger she just met in the Wal-Mart bathroom. As good a person as any, I suppose.

Eventually, she took a breath. I took this as my cue to jump in. I explained that having a baby at any age was a unique challenge, but it was one that millions of women have accepted and triumphed over. She asked questions, I shared my story and related some lessons and advice. She even wrote some things down on a napkin!

After about an hour, we hugged and parted ways, both of us having experienced the oddly happy occasion of making a friend in a Wal-Mart bathroom.