We all know that being a mother is a tough job that requires all your mental, physical, and emotional strength. We need to remember that mom’s need to share what they are experiencing, and they need encouragement and a hug occasionally. Let me give you a peek into a mom’s life when everything did not go according to plan.
My daughter has an 18-year-old stepson, a 17-year-old stepdaughter, and a three-year-old son with autism. One day last week, she was fighting the perfect storm when everything goes wrong at once. I received several calls that day that revealed the following:
The three-year-old’s ear had swelled up, and they thought it might be an allergy to peanut butter which is the only thing he likes to eat besides yogurt.
The 18-year-old received a concussion on Friday and hid it from his coach and parents because he wanted to hang out with his girlfriend on Sunday. The crazy began to percolate in my daughter, and reached the boiling point when her husband said the trainer said it wasn’t a big deal, so they shouldn’t worry. She called asking me what the protocol at my school for concussions was, and after hearing how it should have been handled, she made a doctor’s appointment Monday morning. She also wanted advice on how to deal with the stepson’s repeated deception.
On Monday, she had 50 packages to ship out while entertaining a toddler by herself while her husband took the stepdaughter to school, the stepson to the doctor, returned his son home, then went back for his daughter to take her to the university for dual enrollment classes. After that he would return to the toddler to take him to speech therapy.
The dog was ill and could not stand up.
Something was wrong with the washing machine, and it smelled horrible. Of course, there were at least five loads of laundry to be done.
The stepdaughter wants to stay permanently with them instead of staying part of the week with her mom, but she doesn’t know how to tell her mom, and Jess must stay out of it even though she would like to give the mom a piece of her mind.
With all this going on, she barely whispered to me, “Mom, I have nothing left. I’m going to break.” I asked her what she needed, and she asked if we could bring lunch and stay with her for a few minutes. We brought lunch, and my husband fixed the washer.
Last week, my husband and I were at the park with the three-year-old and a young woman started to talk with me. Her two-year-old grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go. She told me that she had no idea how hard it would be to be a mother. She also said she was so grateful for her son. She told me that her son had attached himself to me because I looked like his grandmother. As we walked, she told me her story. Her mother used to babysit Daniel a lot until one day she was pushing him in his stroller and a car hit them. The mother had a brain bleed and a broken leg. Daniel was unharmed. Her mother does not remember anything about what happened, and her life has changed dramatically. I could hear the sadness in the young woman’s voice. I hope we will continue to see her at the park, and perhaps we can help in some way.
Remember to show appreciation to the mom’s you know, help out when you can, and be free with your hugs.
"Remember to show appreciation to the mom’s you know, help out when you can, and be free with your hugs". Thank you. xox