Dear Waco Coca Cola Employee

Dear Waco Coca Cola Employee

     Since you felt the need to verbally criticize a mom in our little village....loudly across a restaurant, I might add, I think you need to know who we are and how we came to share your precious space last Thursday, July 14th.  We are a group of foster/adoptive families who journey to Dave's Burger Barn once a year on our way to a wonderful family camp in the Hill Country. A camp just for us, where people "get us" and "get" our children.  Most of us do not eat in restaurants because our children have a tough time with this for different reasons.  Some are bothered by the noise, the smells, and others are afraid of strangers.  Other adults can be threatening to our children due to the trauma of their pasts.  New things can be tough.  You see, our kids haven't had average all American lives.  Some were sexually abused by the very family that was there to defend them.  Some have belt buckle scars on their body from frequent beatings for no other reason than just sheer anger.  Some are burned due to the meth labs their loving parents tended to.  Some were exposed to crack, meth, opiates and many other concoctions that will forever alter their brains.  Many never knew what a bed was until they came to us.  Some only knew how to scavenge for food, because food was hard to come by.  Some learned to fall asleep in a small ball in a corner and learned to sleep lightly so they could stay alert to keep away from the prying hands of adults who mean nothing but harm, physically or sexually.  Some were never rocked, sang to or cuddled.  There were no bedtimes stories and special stuffed animals to snuggle in bed with. Many have special needs that aren't obvious to the human eye. Going to Dave's Burger Barn is a BIG DEAL.  Learning to "behave" as you put it is a big deal.

     We have gone to Dave's Burger Barn for 6 years, even before it was in the building it is now in.  We go because they welcome us.  We call ahead to prepare them and they are kind and accommodating.  We go because it's a loud atmosphere due to the concrete floors, TVS and metal chairs that scrape on the floors.  When you add the picnic tables outdoors plus the park where our kids can run off steam after being in the car for 3 hours, it a perfect match.  It's a big part of our trip.  They get to see their friends and talk about the joy of  family camp just a few more hours away.

     At the time you so rudely yelled across the restaurant to "control your kids, this isn't Chuck E Cheese" we were just shuffling in.  You see, we were a group of 60, with many families having 4 to 7 children.  Children were getting into their chairs and that made loud sounds.  They were greeting each other and not one child was out of control, but there were LOTS of children.  Your shocked the mom you referred to because she was there alone with her 6 children.  Several of those children have special needs due to the choices of their biological parents.  You said we needed to teach our kids to behave like you so aptly had done according to you.  You were asked nicely to be quiet and told that you had NO idea what you were talking about since these kids came from foster care and were in various stages of being taught various social skills and how to "behave".  You raged on.

     Do you know how hard it is to teach a child to sit in a restaurant who has been eating from the trash for years?  Do you know how hard it is to teach manners to a child who has always fallen asleep wherever they could find that was safe?  Do you have any idea how much a restaurant and strange, mean people like you can trigger all kinds of memories?  Dear sir, we ARE teaching our children, just not like you.  We can only imagine how you teach your children based on your screaming and demeaning tone to a mom doing her best with some amazing kids who have overcome obstacles you could hardly conceive. A mom who has given up an easy life to love those no one else wanted to love.  Who does without sleep and dignity and just about most things that you seem to enjoy and demand.

     Sir, the words you said, were hurtful and self centered.  They were callous and cruel.  You truly have no idea what you stepped into or the pain you inflicted.  You also have no idea what kind of support we all received after you left.  The construction crew close to us told my husband they were ready to take you out.  We're glad they chose not to do that.  Unlike you, we mean you no harm. The restaurant apologized.  Other families came up and supported all of us.  You, sir are the reason there is so much hate in the world.  You acted selfishly and without regard for others.  You thought your little lunch at a burger barn was interrupted.  You interrupted a once a year experience for 60 people.  Your picture and comments are now making their way around the internet and you, dear man, are not popular.  Few are on your side.  Coca Cola was called and you were reported along with your photo.  They were extremely embarrassed that you would cause such a scene in your work uniform.  What shocks us all is the manner in which you kept going on and on about parents not training their kids like you did....you were given the chance to be quiet and were treated kindly, but you raged on.  I hope you are proud of your actions as is the young man dining with you.  You should always be proud of the legacy you leave behind.  I doubt yours is one of love, tolerance or kindness, but I am hopeful that maybe you just had a really rotten day or week or something to fuel the venom you spewed.  I hope you find Jesus and know that he weeps for the anger in your heart.  I thank you for showing our little tribe that we will stick together and that we do gain support for who we are everywhere we go even though our children are not the norm.

     Dear Coca Cola Employee, I hope you can view your actions and consider them in the future so as not to tear down foster/adoptive children, special needs children and the families who love them.  One day you may need the support of others and I pray you will find that.