This mum was having a shocking day when a few small kindnesses turned it all around. Now, she says, it’s time to pay it forward.
It was when I was standing in the 10 items or less aisle at Woolies with my right boob hanging out, trying to feed a screaming three week old and hold onto a toddler with a poo in his undies going crazy that I witnessed the power of Mothers.
The three Mums in front of me in the line quietly retreated from their positions, took my trolley and led me to the front of the line. They helped me pay, took my smelly toddler by the hand and walked us to our car.
It was a small gesture, but I was very tired and emotional and their help in that moment stayed with me for a long time.
After my third baby I had severe, frequent migraines. Again, not the biggest problem in the world but for me it was an incredibly hard time. I had three children under four, you could say I had a fairly intense job and I was in constant, sometimes debilitating pain.
A Mum, now a dear friend, would come and watch my children on the days I was really bad. She would play with them, cook them dinner and help put them to bed.
These may be small gestures, but to me at that time they changed my life. They improved my ability to cope, to care
It is inherent within us as Mums to help other Mums. Whether it is the lasagne you take to the Mother of a newborn, or the groceries you pick up for your friend that’s looking after sick kids, we all do it.
