Do you know that feeling?
You’re walking into a store. Maybe it’s just to grab something small. Maybe it’s a big day—school shopping for your kids, a treat for yourself. You’ve got the money. You’ve got the list. But before you take your first step inside, something shifts. Your shoulders tighten. You remind yourself to smile. To look “normal.” To not linger. Just in case someone decides you don’t belong.
Maybe you’ve had that quiet conversation with your child before going in—about keeping their hands to themselves, about holding the bag a certain way, about what to say or not say if someone asks them something inappropriate.… Read more