Be like that man!

Today I was making at stop at Starbucks-big surprise there-to get some coffee. Of course, I had little Rusty in tow, and since it was to be a quick in and out I didn't go through the whole process of putting him in my carrier or putting him the stroller. I grabbed him, grabbed my wallet, and made my way to the door.

If you ever try to go in a door with a bunch of things in your hands you know it can be tough. I was standing at the door trying to shove my wallet into my jacket pocket so I would have a free hand to open the door when a nice guy came walking up and opened the door right up for me. "Thank you!" I exclaimed with delight. You would think that something like this would be common place, but it's not. It surprises me how many people will walk right by you as they watch you struggle to open doors. I always opened the doors for women with strollers or babies, people with walkers, in wheelchairs, etc before I had Caden, it's just the way I was raised. Anyway, I digress.

After getting in the door I sort of slowly walked and sort of motioned for this man to go ahead of me in the lineup. "Oh no!" he said, "You go ahead! Ladies first!" Again, I was so surprised and this time I told him so. "Oh, well that's how I was raised," he replied, "You open the door, you let ladies go first, if you are on the bus or skytrain and an older person or a pregnant lady gets on, you give up your seat or if you are standing and someone else DOESN'T give up their seat, you ask them WHY!" I smiled at this, and said he had been raised well. I then turned to Rusty, who at this point was smiling at the man, of course, and said, "Rusty, you be like this man!" At this the man smiled a huge smile.

We then got up to the lineup and I said, "Are you SURE you don't want to go first? I have three drinks to order, and you have just one." Again, "Oh no ma' am! It's fine!" At this point, I was just so delighted with this man. What gem! He wished me a fond farewell and I did the same, after buying his coffee because I was so pleased with him!

I was then waiting in line for my coffee. Again, I had Rusty in my arms and my wallet in my pocket. My first drink came up and I was having a hard time getting the lid on it. Another man-a different one-standing in line with me came right up and put the lid on for me. When he saw that I had more than one drink he then proceeded to get me a drink tray, put lids and sleeves on all of them for me, and then load them all in to the tray! He then put stoppers in all of them and made sure I had Rusty firmly in one arm before handing me the tray to the other hand. I looked at Rusty and said, "Everyone is being so helpful today! You be like these men some day please, Rusty!" He smiled his gummy grin at me and the man, and the man smiled back and we went our separate ways.

I walked out of that Starbucks feeling so happy and so pleasant. I was actually singing to Rusty and doing a little dance with him, I felt so good. I am so pleased to see that there are some great gentlemen out there in this world. I hope to teach Rusty those same qualities. His dad is a gentleman, and I hope that he will follow suit and someday, some young mom will be turning to her little boy and saying "Be like that man!" after Rusty has done something kind for her!