Casual cruelty (part 2)

October 12th

“Mom, I wish I had another mom, a mom who is just like you but rich. So she could buy me everything I wanted”.

A girl, about six years old, said it out loud to her mother as we were standing in line at a deli counter in a supermarket. I was floored by what I heard and politely kept my gaze firmly pointed at the wall. But I couldn't help myself, and just sneaked a peek at the woman whose daughter said that. She was obviously and extremely crushed by those very casually said words. She wasn't crying, but her pain was so visible, that she clearly was already past any tears. She didn't say anything. I mean, what can you say to that, and to a child? There is no comeback to that at all.

And clearly, her daughter didn't mean to hurt her. She kept talking after making that statement above about making sandwiches for school tomorrow and working on some drawings for homework. She is too young to understand the meaning of her words and how much they hurt her mother. The daughter was just making a statement or an observation as kids do — straight to a point of what is on their mind, without any internal comprehension. She will learn it, almost everybody does eventually get the idea that some things are better not said out loud — even in jest.

But no matter how rationally I can think about that, and assume that the woman in question can see it rationally as well — there is an unfathomable sadness in what I saw in the supermarket today. Some words, said without any cruel meaning, visibly crushed the spirit of a person who is struggling to make ends meet, as most of us do now. And ok, the kid had no idea about that cruelty, but already has an idea about money and lack of them. And already knows that having money is very important, so important that a rich mother is a better option than a current one.

I still feel deeply disturbed by what I saw, and there is a bitter sadness that doesn't leave my mind.