She clutched a cranky toddler at her hip while her husband lugged a stroller up three bus steps. “Come on, buddy, find a seat!” She urged an unruly older brother, maybe four or five years old. Through her thick southern accent, I heard the unmistakable sound of tired. Make that tired-yet-trying-to-muster-patience. After all, we were in Disney World. It’s the happiest place on Earth.
I chuckled under my breath as my husband hauled our own double stroller onto the bus. Our six-year-old climbed into a seat, so I wilted beside her and lifted our three-year-old onto my lap. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and let her eyelids droop to the floor.
Southern Mama took the seat across from mine. We locked gazes.
“Enough fun for one day?” I smiled in spite of my exhaustion.
“More fun than I can handle.” She cracked a smile, too. “And we start all over again tomorrow morning—at Epcot.”
“Where are you from?”
“Louisiana. Drove here in an RV. Next time, we’re flying.” She shook her head and laughed. “Where y’all from?”
“Wisconsin,” I said. “We definitely opted for the airplane.”
Over the next ten miles to our resort, this fellow mom and I exchanged stories of school (yes, really, my kids climb snow hills at recess) and weather (you think it’s chilly here? seriously?) and the best place to buy trading pins (eBay, who knew). When the bus pulled into our depot, we wished one another good night and happy trails—then she pushed her stroller left and I pushed mine right.
And I realized.
I just met myself.
Sure, the drawl was different, the gender of her kids, her hair, her hometown, her husband. But any woman who has cradled a newborn in her trembling hands and seen that tiny babe grow through six diaper sizes and four Gerber stages, who knows the special torture of sleepless nights and pre-dawn wake-up calls, who shops for monkey underwear and fruit snacks and LEGO sets on sale, who rolls over to make room for a sleepyhead who had a bad dream, who quells tantrums and throws a few herself, and who loves her family with a heart bigger than the moon—she’s my soul sister. She gets me. Because she’s a mom.
Motherhood is universal.
Everywhere we went in Disney World, my husband and I saw parents—from New Jersey, Idaho, Ireland and Japan—buying Mickey ice cream bars and lifting youngsters onto their shoulders for a better view of the parade. They scolded crabby children, wiped ketchup off chins, snapped eager photos of Cinderella and implored little people to please make a choice, chicken nuggets or a hot dog.
We’re a lot more alike than different. Millions of moms. Millions of kids. And one God who watches over us all.
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young,” (Isaiah 41:11).
Isn’t it comforting to know that God is gently leading us? He’s not prodding or pulling our leash; he is tender, kind and safe. He knows this mom journey can be rocky terrain, and he guides us through with compassion.
After all, we’re not just moms. We’re children, too—God’s children. Which makes us sisters. You, me, Louisiana lady and countless moms around the world. We’re in this together.
Let’s encourage one another.
Laugh with one another.
Love one another.
And point each other to Jesus.
So if you meet me on a bus, or on a playground, or at the grocery store or the school play, don’t be shy. Say hello. Help me with my stroller and I’ll help you with yours. I’ll remind you that you’re not alone, and you’ll give me a reason to laugh at myself. Then someday, when our kids are grown, maybe we’ll meet at Disney World—as grandparents.
Grammy will gladly spring for the ice cream bars. But she don’t push no stroller, y’all. Amen?
Blessings,
Becky
I love this, Becky! Yes, if we have eyes to see and hearts that are tender, we will meet ourselves coming and going. And maybe most especially as we connect with another sister who is very different than we are.
What a lovely reminder, a sweet invitation this is today!
Thank you so much, Linda. I’ve been more aware lately of the importance of loving the person who is in front of me. When we look, we can see something of ourselves in many people, I think!
Becky, Your post made me smile today. We look at people and sometimes and think, “Their life couldn’t be more different than mine.” But if we could only take a peek into their homes, we would be surprised to learn no much separates us. Great wisdom today. Stopping in from Playdates. Kim
Thanks so much for visiting from Playdates, Kim. I can relate to your thoughts very well!
I don’t know how many times I have seen young mom’s and tried to encourage them that ‘this too will pass’ and some day it will be easier. Not that the teen years are easier than the toddlers you exchange one prayer for another, but the giving and the giving more does slow down. We all have been there. This is coming from a grandma of six who could write and tell the stories of exhaustion and fatigue. There is hope.
Oh, bless you, Sharon. I love wise perspective from the moms who’ve gone before us. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m with you 100%!
🙂
Very true Becky, we really do need each other, for encouragement, laughters, help and all…
I know the feeling of sharing with another mom, it is good. Thanks for sharing and do have a super blessed day!
Love
From WW
I sometimes think of how women lived in community during Bible times and even more recently in our own country’s history, and yet today we’re expected to do so much on our own, in our private houses with our personal to-do lists. We can regain some sense of community just be reaching out to each other with encouragement. So glad you stopped by!
This is so true, and beautifully put. Nothing has united me with another group of people as much as motherhood has.
Yes, we are so very much alike. There’s nothing like a trip across many miles to remind us of that very fact, Becky. It’s funny, whenever we asked people in England or Wales if they’d ever visited the U.S., if they had, they invariably had visited Disneyworld or wanted to!
Thanks for giving us a warm embrace every time we/I visit, a lovely little peek into your great vaca and a reminder to love and reach out to all who are on this hard-earth journey as moms!
Ah, yes, because America IS Disney World! Too funny, Beth. I’m enjoying the peeks into your vacation, too. Keep those photos coming!
Isn’t that the truth? We’d do good to remember that, wouldn’t we? I’ll take this as a rally cry, Becky–to open myself up to other mommies better. 🙂
You and me both, Laura!
The nicest part of the bus rides back from the parks at Disney is making connections with all those other parents doing the same things. We all want the best for our children, we may go about it at in different ways, but at our core we are the same.
And being able to sit for a few minutes. That was another of my favorite part about the bus rides, Heather. 🙂 Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!
Wouldn’t it be amazing if more people could keep this in mind on a regular basis? I love it. So many of us really are more the same than we could probably guess.
So true, Ashley. It starts with us.
There’s so much all of us moms have in common, no matter what our circumstances.
What a great reminder. We mamas do have so so much in common – all over the world. It is sometimes easy to forget this and I appreciate the reminder to relate with rather than to judge my sisters.