To the momma at the park yesterday –
Thank you for taking that first awkward risk from mom to mom. Thank you for seeing my discomfort about my son’s tantrum. Thank you for offering your son to be my son’s buddy.
“Does he want this bigger cardboard to slide down? What about you go down the hill with _____, my son? Hey, my kid did the same thing. He’d get mad easily, be super shy. It takes a lot. It’s tough, I know.”
I’m sorry I was a bumbling, embarrassing idiot. I should’ve said more than a whispered thank you and understanding nod. I’m sorry I was so flustered about my own situation that I didn’t pause to appreciate your kindness.
Thank you for offering a “me too.”
SOLSC24 || 13: Letter to the momma at the park
britt escribe 
Very touching. Both what the mom did and your words here.
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This speaks so poignantly to our connection as humans, “It’s tough, I know.” I can see the slide, the cardboard, the tantrum, hear all of it, and that aftermath movie running in your head. “I’m sorry I was a bumbling. embarrassing idiot.” That her kindness comes from the fact that she, too, has had similar replays, “I should have”s in her life, adds to the tenderness between strangers.
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This is a captivatingly real slice of life with young children. As a grandparent, these days, I wonder why moms almost always feel they are “responsible” for kids being kids? We do all know that we ALL learn from our mistakes as well as from watching others.
I suspect you both learned a little something.
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Anytime we can help another mom remember that they’re a good mama, despite whatever is happening at that moment, it is a gift! She extended you grace. Don’t worry about your quiet thank you… she’s been there. She knows how overwhelming these things can be.
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Love this — in those moments when someone pops into your life, albeit fleetingly — and helps you out, it always seems to pass without appreciation, doesn’t it? I can count the times I wish I had said thank you for the kindness of a stranger (or another mom). I really like how you start with short, quick bursts of thankfulness, and then lead into specifics. It makes my heart swell all the more.
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Sometimes all it takes is a kind word or knowing look to let us know that we are not alone. A “Thank you” is not needed because a calmness in the other person and a small smile say it all.
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I like how you use the phrase “me, too”, reminding us that there are lots of “Me too” moments. You also remind us that small kindnesses can have big impact, and be remembered for a long time. Even written about. I guarantee that the kind mom you feel you didnt thank enough was very happy to be there for you just that small moment.
I also like how this reads like a letter. We could all write a letter about what we wish we had said, or how we wish we had managed a moment better, etc, etc. it could even be its own genre!
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It helps to know we are not alone. What a wonderful gesture to reflect upon and acknowledge.
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This letter is filled with such truth – the gratitude you’re feeling from a generous mom in the park, and the tension of not expressing that gratitude more fully. I hope you can give yourself grace – it’s so clear she saw you (isn’t that the best feeling), and she knows just how thankful you are. And something tells me you’re going to be paying that care & grace forward to another mom one day, too.
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I’m sure your thank you was sincerely given and received.
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Britt, this is so telling of the beautiful person you are. Thankful and still remembering her kindness the next day. I so remember those days when my kids did something that embarrassed me. Then I did something worse as a result. I was so thankful for those wiser parents who helped me through. Your message is clear, and beautiful! Now I see children and parents in such a different light, through the old and forgiving eyes of a grandparent.
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