Before I begin, I need to say this. Dear Target, thank you on behalf of moms everywhere. You just get us.
“I think we are out of trash bags,” I said one evening to my husband after he came home from work. We had a three month old baby boy who was nursing, and I rarely got a break from him. I was a new mom, and it was just starting to sink in that maybe mom breaks were always going to be a rare thing.
Now, I could have just as easily gone to get the trash bags the next day, but having just fed the baby, I knew I had at least two hours before he needed me again, and I decided to make a quick getaway.
“So, the baby just ate, and I’m going to run to Target to grab those bags. Okay?”
A look of panic flashed across my husband’s face. I don’t think there is anything that a dad of a nursing baby dreads more than the idea of being left alone with a potentially hungry baby (without any milk.)
“You’ll be fine. I am only 15 minutes away. Tops. So, if he gets fussy, just call me, and I will be right back. Either way, I’ll be back in about an hour and a half.”
“An hour and a half?” He questioned as I grabbed my keys. “I thought you were just going for trash bags?”
“Right. I mean, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I shouted as I shut the front door and bolted to my car.
FREEDOM!
I walked inside the store and thought to myself, “Dear Target, thank you for selling trash bags.”
Because sure, trash bags are sold at the corner store, or the grocery store, or any other store that ends in “mart,” but Target just gets me.
First of all, they’re like a friend who offers you a drink when you get to their house. They might be selling coffee near the front door, but what they’re really saying is, “Hey, tired momma. You work so hard, and you look like you could really use a cup of coffee. Can I pour you one?” And I say, “You sure can, Target Starbucks. Thanks for thinking of me.”
And they say, “No problem, friend. Hey, we know you’re here for “trash bags,” wink wink, but while you stroll with your latte, why don’t you stop at our awesome dollar section, or clothing section, or stop by the office supply section on your way there?”
And I think to myself, “Target, you think of everything. Because while you knew I could use trash bags as my decoy item, you also knew that I really wanted to do a little shopping. And now I can say, ‘Well, I just grabbed this on my way to get what I came for.’”
Amiright? Seriously, ask any mom or woman who has ever “run into Target” for “just one thing” and most of them will tell you that they came out spending $100 and without the item they ran in for. Because Target is a little like going to the mall that sells not only adorable shoes, but toothpaste and diapers too.
So, to the mom who would love a tropical getaway, but will settle for a quick trip to Target, I so get it. And while Target does a great job of setting the scene for an easy getaway, it also points out a bigger truth that sometimes, momma just needs a break. And friend? It’s okay to take one. As a matter of fact? It is soooo important for you to grab a break when you can. Because while we love spending time with and taking care of our kids, everyone (momma, daddy, baby) benefits when mom takes some time for herself… Even if it is just to Target for trash bags.
So, the next time I run into you there? Feel free to smile, nod, wink or even say hello. We’re both just there to grab something off the shelf after all. Even though we all know we’re really there to grab five minutes alone. But shhhhh I won’t tell if you don’t. 😉
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