Saw a kid at the park and it hit me different this time

Was at the playground near my apartment. Just sitting on a bench. A little boy, maybe 4, was trying to climb the ladder. His mom was right there, spotting him. He fell. Not hard. But he looked right at her and cried. She picked him up, hugged him, told him it was okay. I always told myself my daughter was better off. That her parents could give her things I couldn't. I believed that for 8 years. Watching that mom, I felt it in my gut. She wasn't just giving stuff. She was giving that feeling. The safe feeling. The one I couldn't give back then. It wasn't about money at all. It was about being there. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where a simple thing just flipped a belief you held for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_stone23h ago

Totally get what you mean. I saw a dad at the grocery store letting his daughter pick out the ugliest bunch of bananas because she was so proud of finding them. It hit me the same way. I always thought being a good parent was about having the right answers and making perfect choices. In that moment I realized it's just about showing up and sharing the dumb little moments. Changed my whole view.

paige_harris22h ago

Remember my friend who used to stress about making every birthday perfect for her son? Last year she planned this huge party and he just wanted to sit on the kitchen floor and build a blanket fort with her. She said they ate pizza in there and it was the best day ever. Makes you wonder how many perfect moments we miss by trying too hard.