People Mocked Me When My Card Got Declined While I Was Holding My Baby Granddaughter—Then a Voice Behind Me Said, ‘Ma’am. You With the Baby’

I live off my late husband’s pension and what remains of our savings, which shrinks a little more each month.

Some nights, I heat up canned soup for dinner and tell myself that Lily doesn’t know the difference between brand-name and store-brand formula. She’s healthy, and that’s what matters.

A few weeks ago was one of those days when everything felt impossibly heavy.

My back ached from carrying Lily around all morning. The kitchen sink had started leaking again, and I couldn’t afford to call a plumber. The washing machine made that awful grinding noise, which meant it was probably dying, and I definitely couldn’t afford to replace it.

We were completely out of diapers and baby food, so I bundled Lily into her carrier, pulled on my worn winter coat, and headed to the grocery store.

As we stepped outside, I felt the cold November air hit us.

Continue reading…