Act of Kindness #14: No Act is too Small

I saw you today:  A disheveled bun plunked on top of your head...T-shirt with spit-up on the left shoulder...Purse slung across your right arm...Keys in the other...Baby on your hip...child grasping onto your sweat pants.

I saw you today, and I saw myself.  I saw sleepless nights of rocking, swaying, and lullabies, and 4 a.m.s that greet you all too quickly.  I saw mornings filled with cereal, Elmo, and sippy cup spills.   I saw afternoons of finger painting, tent building, and nap count downs. 

I saw you today, and I was willing to bet, that like me, you have a laundry room full of neglected clothes..some of which have not fit you in years.  I bet you may have a ceiling fan that needs to be dusted and a kitchen stove that could benefit from a nice scrubbing.  I bet there are weeds that need to be pulled in your yard and floors that could stand to be mopped.

I saw you today, and I wondered if you ever felt like me.  Overwhelmed.  Exhausted.  Alone. And yet extremely happy.  My nails may not be done.  My hair has not been cut in over a year.  I cannot tell you the last time I had a solid sleep or ate a hot meal.  I have moments where I want to run away.  There are times I tell my girls if they keep this up, I am going to sell them to the gypsies.  Some days, I even offer to sell myself to the gypsies.   Even so, I would not trade this life for anything in the world.

I saw you make your way to the day care door, and I knew you probably were faced with the same dilemma as me.  Can I manage to pry this door open with my foot?  My hip?  If I put my arm here and my head there, can I keep this door open?  Am I able to do this all without loosing one of my own extremities or those of my children?  These "hands-full" mom maneuvers put a mean game of Twister to shame, and I knew that as you made your way to the door, like me, you were probably devising a plan.

And as I looked at you, I wanted to hug you, high five you, tell you how awesome you were, but instead, as we made our way to that day care door, all I could do was hold it open for you.  A simple act...so simple, that I am not even sure if it qualifies as an Act of Kindness.  You looked up at me with a smile and said, "Oh, thank you.  You have your hands full too." 

It is true, my hands were full.

But as I watched you make your way past me, I hoped you knew, if even for a minute, that you were not alone..that even simple acts of kindness are all around you.

P.S.  You are awesome!