Unity among moms is a must–even when you are dealing with a sick kid. Period. End of story. We are all trying to do the best that we can each day, so I am always grateful when I encounter a stranger who extends kindness my way. It brings a sense of renewal!
A couple of weeks ago I took my two children to open gym time at the local YMCA. They both had been sick for two weeks and hadn’t seen natural daylight during that time. I was so excited that they were both well enough to get out! After being there for about an hour or so, I noticed my daughter was coughing hard and just couldn’t stop. My instinct knew what was to come, and I tried to get to her before her internal volcano erupted. I was too late. Throw up EVERYWHERE. Throw up where all the kids happened to be playing. Serenity now!
Thankfully, my friend was right next to me. I practically tossed my one-year-old to her so I could get my daughter. After settling her down and cleaning her up, I went back into the gym to try to clean up her mess. I passed by the mothers who were in the area and profusely apologized. They were more than kind and were concerned about my daughter. When I returned the next week, the staff member who helped me said something so simple, which has resonated with me:
“I wanted to be the type of person to you that I would have needed when my kids were little.”
Now that’s unity. It pierced my soul. What would the world look like if unity was our focus instead of judging or comparing or complaining about each other? What a beautiful world it would be!
A friend of mine had an opposite experience. She took her two kids to a local playgroup and her youngest experienced a poop explosion. She asked a playgroup staff member to watch her daughter so she could quickly change her son in the bathroom. Her daughter started crying after her mother left, and they paused the playtime. The mother quickly returned, and while she took her daughter, another mom degraded her in front of everyone.
This story brings me sadness. We have all been in a situation where grace and kindness were needed right at that moment.
And if you haven’t, brace yourself! It is coming. Lend a helping hand. Give a sympathetic smile. Say a kind word. In the words of Lysa Terkeurst, New York Times bests selling author and speaker, ” I think we moms should pledge to never judge one another. We’re all desperately trying to do this mothering thing right.”
There is such a lack of unity in our world today. No matter what the headline is, there is an undercurrent of division. What can we do to change that? It starts in your small corner of the world–the people you encounter, your interactions with your children, and the kindness you show to your spouse. Opportunities to practice unity are everywhere–1,440 minutes each day to be exact!
So, moms, let’s demonstrate unity and stand together. Our community needs us to, and more importantly, our dear children need us to. While the world around us seems to continuously divide, our tiny corner doesn’t have to.
How can you be an example of unity in your world this week?
