So I’ve been thinking a lot about this crazy life called motherhood. It’s a wild ride with lots of ups and downs, don’t you think? I want to share a story with you about a particular “low” I had a few years ago…
This story takes place at Mass one winter morning. I was still getting used to being a young mother of two children. My oldest was a fidgety two-year-old and I had a new baby, only a few months old. We managed to get to church on time, but decided we’d better stay toward the back. My toddler was in rare form that morning – and with insufficient sleep the night before, he definitely was acting like it. Because he wouldn’t stay quiet, my husband took him to the back, much to his dismay! He fussed and caused a minor scene. At about the same time, my new baby started to whine. He had a minor case of colic, possibly acid reflux, and he constantly had to be upright and bounced. I stood up and moved to the back wall of the church.
Needless to say, I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I could feel the tears coming, but I kept trying to push them away. I poured my heart out to God in my head: “I’m so sorry my children are misbehaving in church today. I am so embarrassed that people are looking at us, glaring at us, judging us. I am trying to participate as fully as I can, but today just seems so hard.”
Most of the Mass seemed like a blur. I just couldn’t shake this awful feeling like I was a horrible mother, that I shouldn’t even be at church, etc etc. Before I knew it, it was time for the sign of peace.
A woman and her family of a few teenage children were also standing in the back. She came over to me as I was consumed with bouncing my baby, put her hand on my shoulder and said smiling: “You’re doing a great job.”
Those words just meant the world to me. Although she could probably see the exhaustion on my face, she had no idea the inner turmoil that was going on inside that day. She didn’t know how much I needed to hear those words. She didn’t have to come to me, she didn’t have to say anything at all. She didn’t have to, but she did.
I am challenging myself to go a little outside of my comfort zone and let a fellow mamma know what a great job she is doing. You never know the depths of what a positive word can do for someone. I know that kind woman did that for me!
Have a great weekend!
