Oh my gosh!
I went up to the electronics cashier at Wal-Mart and asked him to price-check a toy. He rang it up and jokingly said, “This toy will cost an arm and a leg.” Then he noticed my daughter, who happens to be missing an arm and a leg. His face instantly filled with horror as he began to apologize profusely.
I reassured him that my daughter was worth far more than an “arm and a leg” and that I knew his comment wasn’t meant to offend. I explained that in our house, we use humor a lot and don’t let things like that bother us. As I started to walk away, he called me back.
He told me he had two three-year-olds and wanted to understand more about limb differences. He asked, genuinely and politely, if missing limbs made life harder.
I replied, “Nope, she’s hard because she’s a three-year-old, just like your kids.” We both smiled and shared a laugh about the challenges of raising little ones, and then he wished me a great day.
It’s okay to say something embarrassing. It’s okay to say something that isn’t perfect. But what’s even better is to continue the conversation and connect with me and my child. Thanks, Wal-Mart Electronics cashier, for saying “hello.”
