Comments on: Thanks for noticing me

By: Heather of the EO

Heather of the EO — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:50:26 +0000

I think about this so much. I try to stop to help moms when I have the luxury of going to the store all by myself. And many times they just stand there with their eyes bugging out, “are you talking to me?” Yup, I wanted to know if I could grab that for you…

and most of the time, they say no thanks.

We are SO used to doing it all alone. And we’re SO not used to someone offering help. It’s sad. So I’ll wait for that post for another day. You can just figure it all out and fix it right? :)

By: Nell@CasualFridayEveryDay.com

Nell@CasualFridayEveryDay.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:01:38 +0000

The kindness of complete strangers offering to hold a door, offer their seat, or whatever it is is always the best feeling. Like, even though we don’t know each other we all recognize we’re part of the same human family.

Nell

By: Shawna

Shawna — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:48:47 +0000

OH. I mean: Oh. I’m okay most of the time too. But I find that so many, even friends and family but especially strangers are quick to critcize or quick to leave me on my own, struggling, rather than offer a hand. I am so concious of it that I find myself offering to help people all the time. And I get looks like I’m crazy. And I get told that surely I can’t help, I already have four of my own. But that’s my point. We all can. All of us help eachother. Because even when we don’t need help, even then it’s nice to know that someone else cares enough to offer. That’s all it would take to make life with one or three or eight just right. What a lovely story Jen, thanks!

By: Nicki

Nicki — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:34:22 +0000

I so remember those days vividly. It took forever to get everyone settled. I am so glad someone checked on you, even though you were fine.

By: Cranky Sarah

Cranky Sarah — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:39:11 +0000

As a fellow mother of 3, I totally relate to the amount of time it takes to get everyone loaded in when they’re all in carseats. I’m always the last to leave HAHA!

By: Christine LaRocque

Christine LaRocque — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:29:58 +0000

You made me think about the amount of effort that goes into getting my kids ready for snow and buckled into the car and I couldn’t help but smile. I smile because I’ve just returned to work after a year-long maternity leave. I leave for the office very early in the morning, by 6:00 a.m. most days. Because it’s so early my dad has very generously offered to take my kids to daycare each morning so that I can get out the door quickly and they can sleep in. Just like you were struck by the generosity Ken showed by checking if you were okay, so too am I reminded of how kind my dad is being and how, in the end, it’s the little things that can make a big difference in a mother’s day.

By: Gale

Gale — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:57:23 +0000

What a really lovely story. I was worried that your title was sarcastic and that this would be a tale of inconsiderate people ignoring a mother doing the best she can. I was so relieved to find that someone really had noticed. And you do him a service to recognize his kind gesture here. This is such an apt reminder that we are all doing our very best, but in spite of that it never hurts to offer help.

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:24:20 +0000

First of all, Jen, awesome on getting Geege to watch the kids so you could have a night alone! Oh, if only my mom wasn’t nearly eighty years old – the kids I could dump on her. And Geege takes them when they’re still in diapers! Hats off to grandmas.

Second, since everyone else already gave kudos to the night people for checking on you, do you love how all the other parents just grabbed the loot and hightailed it out of there? :)

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:51:02 +0000

I know what you mean…my sister and I joke that wherever we are going needs to be at least twice as long as how long it takes to load everyone in and out of the car, coming and going…Nice formula we’ve got there, huh? But I so understand looking in the rearview and really being surprised (again!) that they are all mine! Such a sweet friend to offer help…so great that you can laugh at reality!

By: Kristen @ Motherese

Kristen @ Motherese — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:48:28 +0000

One of my Lenten promises is to practice micro-parenting (a term I learned from Bruce at http://privilegeofparenting.com) and your friend’s small gesture of checking in with you is exactly the kind of act I want to do more of – to look up and out often enough to notice others.