How to Know if You’re a Polite Blessing Thief
It’s been eight years since my husband and I were newly married and figuring out the day-to-day routine of a fresh marriage at 22. I had packed my bags and moved to a new state and a big city. The first year took some adjusting as I’m sure it does for most couples. We started new jobs, met a few people, and began to settle into the routine of married life.
Some time ago I began to lovingly refer to myself as a recovering people pleaser. I’ve spent many years attempting to reverse the niceties that a proper Southern lady grows up learning. It’s taken nearly a decade for me to gain the confidence to say “no” without feeling as if the word itself might strangle me, but at the time of this story, I had been married for around a year and was only then beginning the baby steps towards that growth process.
I drove to the store to pick up some of the things that we needed for the week. I wasn’t very independent at the time and I didn’t like having to go places on my own. I had grown up in a modest-sized town and the suburbs, though smaller than the city, were still too large for my comfort.
I filled my cart, pushed it to the front of the store, placed all of my items on the conveyer, and awaited my turn in line. I remember feeling worn out that day and it all seemed to catch up to me as I awaited my turn for checkout. As…
