a couple of thoughts on the mom that left her baby in a shopping cart, for what they're worth

Several years ago I was loading our four small children into our suburban.  Our oldest was eight at the time, and our youngest, just two months old.  The center bench seat in our suburban had a split configuration.   I usually kept one side folded down so our older kids could climb in the back.  In this center seat I always kept my three year old's car seat on the left and saved the middle section for our newborn's infant carrier.  I remember being very frustrated that day as I tried to hustle my kids into the car and get every one buckled.  We were very late for my daughter's piano lesson and no one seemed to want to cooperate.  With everyone finally in, I sped away feeling overwhelmed and kind of embarrassed at my (once again) tardiness.  As we approached the piano teachers house I took one final corner just a little too fast.  As we rounded the corner I heard a dull thud followed by my oldest daughter screaming.  I turned around in horror to find that my newborn daughter's car seat had completely flipped upside down onto the adjacent, folded down seat.  Then, I started screaming as I pulled over and scrambled to right the car seat.  I had forgotten to buckle in her car seat.   Thankfully, she was uninjured.  This scene was followed by a lot of tears (mine) and me apologizing to my baby and my other kids for my impatience and frustration as I had loaded them into the car.

Last week Cherish Peterson loaded her kids into her vehicle and drove away from one of our local supermarkets here in Gilbert.   As she left the supermarket, she stopped by a drive thru to get her kids lunch and also stopped by a local high school to drop off a candy gram ( her main purchase a the grocery store) to her nephew who was celebrating his sixteenth birthday.  Then she returned home.  As she pulled into her drive way, her three year old questioned from the back seat, "Mom, where is baby Huxton?"

I cannot begin to imagine what this mom went through at this moment.  I have watched her complete interview (here) as she describes in detail everything that happened that afternoon and what led up to an  unimaginably horrible result. I have read the comments on various social media forums that people have made  about this mom both in support of and brutal condemning of her not only as a mom, but as a human being.  I do not know Cherish, but several  of my friends who I love and trust do.  They describe her as  a kind, loving, caring, and self-less mother who devotes everything she has to her children and their well being.

After watching the video of  Cherish describing what happened, I told my husband, "That could have been me."  As moms we rely on mental routines.  Routines that help us navigate those count sleepless nights and often exhausting days as we try to just do the very best we can to help our children be health, happy, and feel loved. When Cherish talked about not usually parking where she parked, and her baby's carrier being inside the shopping cart it gave me chills.  I understood.  Her mom mental routine had been shifted.

We all make mistakes.  I feel confident in saying that most of us would absolutely cringe at the thought of having some of those mistakes posted on the many social media venues.

In Cherish's own words, "I am a good mom who made a horrible mistake". I echo this thought and wish only the best for Cherish and her family as they try to move forward.

Below is a link to a fb page 20,000+ strong if you would like to lend your support to this family.

#istandwithcherish