Returning the favor number two

When my Mom reached the age when she needed more help, I did my best to make things easier for her. Before I went to work in the morning, I would stop by her house to help with chores, see if she needed anything from the store, and drink her coffee.

One morning I showed up and, before I took my coat off, she asked me to go to the store. Her urgent request was for me to buy adult underwear. There was no embarrassment for either one of us. I had taken her shopping before and seen her purchase adult underwear many times. “I’ll be right back.” I said as I turned and left. This would be an easy task. I knew the brand and size.

When I was a kid with very little control, my mom would buy underwear for me anytime I needed them. I had a pretty good understanding of the urgency and wasted no time getting to the store. This was my chance to return the favor.

At the store, I grabbed the underwear needed and went to the checkout. The young lady at the register, who would not need adult diapers for at least another fifty years, looked at the package of diapers and looked at me. Again, she looked down at the package and placed her finger on the size that was written on the package. Looking up, she sheepishly said “I think you grabbed the wrong size. These are small.”

Bless her heart. She was looking out for the customer. Don’t sell the customer something he doesn’t need.

I smiled and said, “I know they’re small. It’s O.K. I like them snug.”

Two weeks later, I took my Mom shopping. She grabbed her food for the week and another package of adult underwear. As fate would have it, the same young lady was working at the checkout. As my mom was writing a check for the purchase, I wondered if the young lady thought my Mom was buying the underwear for me.