That Kohl's Ambience

A few weeks ago I had to run into Kohl's for something. Addie had just gotten her 1 year-old check-up, and, to be honest, it wasn't a great visit. Besides her getting five shots, the pediatrician said that she's behind in her walking (which I knew - all of my children are late movers. Our doctor has joked that maybe we have a "late-moving" gene). But since the boys had turned out fine, I really wasn't concerned about it. However, there were some other developmental questions I was unsure of and had just answered them with "no."

Bad decision. She ended up looking like she was behind in several areas. So the doctor sent the questionnaire home with me and said to try those activities with her. In other words, "Since you're such an hands-off, BAD mom, you need to do this again!" No, I like our doctor, and knew that's not what he was saying, but that's how I FELT when I left his office. So needless to say, I really just felt like going home and sitting on the couch and eating chocolate AFTER making my baby go through a battery of activities to test her "normalness" - whatever that is.

Going into Kohl's somehow made me feel a little better, though. I didn't even buy anything! (So I know it wasn't retail therapy.) Pushing the stroller through the store while smelling cinnamon and spice candles, hearing Harry Connick, Jr. softly singing Christmas songs, and (since it was early in the morning) seeing neatly stacked displays - somehow it all seemed to calm my nerves a little bit. And prevented me from going home and eating through a whole bag of Ghirardelli chocolates. Who knew Kohl's had such impact? As I was finally leaving (after strolling through aisles of things we don't need and restraining myself from buying a Pumpkin Pie Spice Yankee candle and a winter scarf - such weaknesses for me!) God, in that still small voice, reminded me that my husband deals with stressful situations on a weekly basis. When he comes home from work, he does not want to open the door to a chaotic home and a grouchy wife and fighting kids. (ouch!) No, my home doesn't have to be perfect - it is fa-a-a-r from it! But, I can try a little harder to make it a pleasant place to come into after the pressures and stress that he has dealt with that day. So, as odd as it may sound, now I remind myself to make my home a little more like Kohl's. I know it will pay off in the long run! "Every wise woman buildeth her house. But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." (Proverbs 14:1)