“I feel SORRY for you!”

I was too stunned to say anything. I just stood there, gripping the little hands of the kids the lady just sneered at.

During our recent trip to Iowa, I noticed that people didn’t say anything to me about having three kids. Maybe larger families are a little more normal in the Midwest? Maybe people are nicer? In Washington, when I run errands with all three kids, I get a lot of comments. Usually it’s just a variation of “You have your hands full!” (To which I usually reply, “So is my heart!”)

But on a sidewalk in front of a stripmall Papa Murphy’s, this lady shouted it at me. Her facial expression was pure disgust. My kids were oblivious, thankfully. Lucius was perched on my hip, cooing to catch my attention and reaching for my hair. Mariel was at my side holding hands with Giana and listening to the song she was making up about sunshine.

So, random angry stranger, even though my brain didn’t work quickly enough in the moment for me to reply to you, here’s what I would say now:

I feel sorry for you, that you would speak contempt for these little ones. These kids are children of God and future world-changers.