It may be tempting to say…”I’m not your mother” and be able to walk away; however, true moms, moms of the heart, through and through, deep into their soul, cannot walk away.
Of course, I am not thinking of anything serious, like adoption or foster parenting, because that goes into a whole ‘nother level of caring and commitment. (One that I am finding quite intriguing…but no, not yet. Not that far. Maybe, someday, just not yet.)
I am more thinking about every day possibilities for anyone, in any town…like:
- When you see a child about to hurt themselves… whether they are 2 or 20.
- When you see your friend or neighbor’s child waiting for a ride, one that won’t be coming anytime soon due to all that crazy turnpike traffic – so you bring them home to your neighbor (their parents) or you wait with them, just to make sure…
- When you know a child has worked really hard to earn the $20 to buy books at the book fair but they still need $0.72 to cover the total cost including sales tax since they chose a book their little sister will really, really like…
- When a guest at your child’s birthday party falls down, needs a Band-Aid, or a hug because they were excluded or they miss their mom…
- When you see that a class mate of your child needs a dry pair of pants because they can’t bear the odor in the public bathroom and they waited too, too long…
Being a caring person will simply cover each and everyone all of these situations. Mom or not. Weird societal rules, like concern for what others will think, be damned…
Remember when you were a kid? Wouldn’t you have wanted someone to be there for you when your mom couldn’t? If no one stepped up for you…be the change and do it just to make sure they grow up with a different perspective and they in turn, pay it forward later in their life.
“Are You My Mother?” by PD Eastman is one of my favorite bed time books, but it makes me sad, too. Everyone from the steam shovel to the cow (“I am a cow, how could I be your mother?“) says essentially the same thing…however:
“I’m not your mother” is not an excuse to let something bad happen to someone who can’t help themselves. Certainly, it is true that a dad isn’t the mom, but he can’t and certainly won’t use it either.
~ Dawn aka Hat Girl