Dear Other Mother

Dear Other Mother at the park, 

Thank you.  

Thank you for helping your daughter say hello to my daughter when she shyly but with all the boldness a three year old girl can muster, said "Hi.  My name is Maelynn.  What's your name?"  

Thank you for talking with my younger guy when he started to tell you about his trains with all the random excited fervor of four-year-old-ness.

  

Thank you for not looking at me like I had three heads when I got choked up listening to my daughter introduce herself, or even more when I saw Richie talking to you.  

See, I waited so long to hear these things from their brother... things I still haven't heard... and I cherish the blessing of their social skills, and the fact that their speaking faculties are all in place.  

Oh yes, he can speak, as you found out in the next few minutes.  But most of his speech is contrived of phrases he has gleaned from apps, movies, kids' tv shows, and things we've struggled to teach him.  

Thank you for your reaction when you suddenly found this precious face just inches from yours, spouting "Well HELLO there!" 

Thank you for talking back to him, not looking straight past him. 

Thank you for gently attempting to continue the conversation.  

Thank you, oh thank you, for replying to his repeated spout of "Will I see you again?" with a smile and "Maybe so!" 

You don't know, Other Mother, how you blessed my heart yesterday.  Unknowingly but oh-so-willingly, you were a part of continuing speech therapy, social circles, and all these things we do.  

You don't know how you blessed a mother who is so tired.  So frustrated with trying to do fun things in the family only to end up with a screaming, hitting mess, scrambling to the nearest exit to help things calm.  

Not everyone responds the way you did, but boy, did you do a great job.  

Thanks be to God for the ones who just love right back.