Dear Fellow Mom, Thanks for Seeing Me and Speaking Up

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And so the mom story goes…

I was out all morning with the kids. We ended up being out longer than I expected so all the snacks I packed were gone, along with the emergency applesauce in the glove box. The baby needed to nurse, the toddler wanted chocolate milk, and mama needed her unsweet tea with a splash of lemonade. Even though we were far away from home, thankfully we weren’t too far from a Chick-Fil-A. We needed food. ASAP!

I decided to rally the troops and go inside for a quick lunch of chicken strips and waffle fries. Full tummies make for good car naps, right?

Moving at a toddler’s pace, we finally made it to the door. “Why is this place SO crowded?” I thought to myself as we waddled up to the line. “Oh man, I forgot it’s spring break!”

I felt all eyes on me as I clumsily completed my order.

Since the place was so packed on this particular day, I ended up sitting at a table out in the open. I felt even more eyes on me. This lunch stop had turned into a bigger ordeal than I imagined. The baby was starving, so he nursed the whole time I shoved fries in my mouth tried to eat. And my daughter discovered the deliciousness of honey mustard for the first time. She wanted every single bite of chicken slathered in sauce. Can I really blame her though? Honey mustard is the best! We finally finished eating, cleared the table, and got one more refill for the long ride home.

As we were leaving, two moms with their tots in tow followed behind us. They were sitting across from our table during lunch. One of the moms asked me how far apart the kids are. “Fifteen months,” I replied with a tired grin.

“Wow! You’re momming so hard right now!” she said cheerfully. 

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I smiled at her and both moms gave me a look of solidarity. We went our separate ways to pack up mom minivans and hit the road. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief on that long ride home. While the kids napped peacefully with full bellies and sticky hands, I wished I would have thanked that fellow mom and told her how much I appreciated those kind words.

She didn’t just see me, she spoke up. Not only did she acknowledge me with a smile on the way out the door, but she took the time to say something.

Thank you for seeing me, but thank you for speaking up even more!

It’s great getting praised by family and friends, but there’s just something so empowering when a fellow mom sees you out in public and offers an encouraging word.

I felt a little crazy for attempting such an outing, but that mom thought I was totally rocking it!

So the next time I see a mom out and about, momming so hard, I will speak to her. Maybe she’s feeling a little out of her element, or maybe she’s frustrated at herself for attempting such a feat with her children. What if she needs more than a smile? Perhaps she could use an encouraging word from a fellow mom.

To the exhausted mom shuffling the aisles of Target with a newborn, you’ve got this! To the mom wrangling her kids at the playground, you’re amazing! And to the mom who is trying to nurse a baby and feed the toddler, you mom so hard!

And to the pretty, blond mom with her adorable toddler who spoke up on that spring day at Chick-Fil-A, thank you!

Originally published May 2018.


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Dear Fellow Mom, Thanks for Seeing Me and Speaking Up



The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.

4 COMMENTS

  1. This is such a beautiful expression on the power of shared experience and community.

  2. It’s always hard because I think we feel like we’re intruding. But who doesn’t want to hear they’re doing an amazing job?!

    • I agree, Katie! Sometimes it can feel awkward to reach out to a stranger, but I am so glad that mom spoke up to me. And because of her, I am trying to be more open to fellow moms 🙂

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