The Look

If you’ve never had a child with an obvious injury, then you probably have never received “The Look.” I certainly never had until Zoe’s black eye. Let me set the scene :

You enter a store with your two kids, one of whom is injured in some way. For giggles, let’s say it’s a young toddler (16 months, will that work?) and she has a black eye. Now, you put the toddler into the seat of the cart, and you scoop up your 3 year old and put them into the basket part. Dangerous? Maybe, but hey…you’ve got stuff to get and you cannot chase a 3 year old all over the store! So, you set off. Lucky for you it’s mid-afternoon in the middle of the week and it’s a school day. There aren’t many people out shopping. Whew. You move on and start your chores.

You’re halfway down the second aisle when it happens. You don’t realize it at first, but yeah there it was…your first “Look.” You chalk it up to a sympathy look, some “aww poor baby, that eye looks awful” look. It’s not until the second perfectly coifed, designer dressed housewife drifts lazily past you, does a double take, and gives you a much more obvious and pointed “Look” than the first lady that you realize, “hey wait a minute…they’re not looking at the baby, they’re looking at me!” And you get indignant. Rightly so? Yeah.

Here’s the look : it’s a “oh my gosh, I cannot believe your baby has a black eye. What is the MATTER with you?” In my head, I respond to them “What, you don’t punch your 16 month old in the face? Gee, thought it was what everyone did.” Good Grief. I mean, COME ON people…..do you honestly think I punched my child in the face?!?! What kind of sick person do you take me for?

Even worse are the “you LET that happen to her?” Looks. No, as a matter of fact I did not. I wasn’t even home when it happened. But guess what…she’s SIXTEEN months old. She’s quick. She’s unsteady on her feet. She’s a little awkward at times. Toddlers fall down, it happens. Get on with your life. Stop sticking your nose into mine.

I took her to the Dr the very afternoon that it happened, praying all the while that she would not develop a full-blown black eye. But, by golly…she’s got a full on shiner! The really good news? Her eye is starting to heal, and the color is less black and purple and it’s starting to turn some shades of yellow and green so I know it’s healing. Thank God.

And remember : the next time you see a little child with an obvious injury, don’t give them “The Look” instead, give their parents the benefit of the doubt!