My College:
Family Life

The Irony of Life

Shari Bender


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That bright red cart was beckoning me.

A solo trip to Target.

My empty-nested, work-at-home self took a sanity break, masking up for a trip to that magical place.

When I (first sanitized, then) grabbed that grey handle, I was struck by the little feet holes that adorned the Target cart.

A trip to Target, or to the supermarket, or Costco with my little one was always a big adventure. Sometimes the supermarket would have the car cart, and oh boy that was hitting the cart lottery!

And Costco? Four holes for four small feet. That meant a little friend, cousin or sibling could come along for the ride. And don’t get me started on those free samples.

But here I was, alone at Target. I would probably have killed for this moment in the trenches of stay-at-home parenthood where running an errand by myself was just a luxury I rarely had.

Fast forward 20 years and here I am, missing my kiddies at Target.

The irony of life.

Maybe one day I will be blessed with grandkids and the cart adventures can begin anew.

For now, I leisurely stroll through the bright beautiful aisles, grateful and reminiscent.

Until next time, Target.

Originally shared on CollegiateParent's Facebook page by Shari Bender. Find more conversation and community in our College Parent Insiders Facebook group. Photo courtesy of the author.
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Shari earned her BA in Communication from Stanford University and freelances all things Communication and Marketing. She is a cat-loving spiritual vegan and former admissions interviewer. With two grown children, Shari is happily and sentimentally embracing her Empty Nest along with her husband of more than 30 years. Her musings delight parents in numerous publications and online platforms, including CollegiateParent and Grown & Flown.
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