When I was approached to write a post about a hero mom, I didn’t know where to begin. Because, let’s face it: There are days when just making it through the day – with everyone in relatively one piece – makes you a hero. And then I thought about all the moms who have influenced me and who I consider hero moms. My own mom is at the top of my list - she managed to raise three great kids, and now I’d consider her to be my best friend. There’s the friend who had a baby girl exactly one week before I had my son – I knew that I could always call, text or email her to commiserate about a particularly tough stage or to ask what was working for their family in terms of sleep, breastfeeding, the list goes on. Then there’s every woman on my street – all a wealth of knowledge, support, and coffee, wine or cookies depending on what kind of day it is.
But then I thought about a mom I’ve known in two roles – as my one-time “employer” and as a fellow parent of kids about the same age. Let me explain: In middle school and high school, my sister and I held a monopoly on babysitting jobs in our neighborhood. We tag team babysat for a family down the street with three sweet kids. Tragically, just a few years ago, this family lost two of their three children in a horrible accident. It was a tragedy that shook our entire community and changed all of us forever, but watching this family as they have established a new way of living while remembering their sweet children is awe inspiring. As time has progressed, this wonderful family has had another child, and my former “employer” is now a new mom all over again – to a baby just a few months older than my own.
Now, I think I do a pretty good job most of the time of appreciating the health and happiness that my family has been blessed with. But there are times when I forget about the bigger picture and get caught up in the frustrations of the moment. In 16 months on the job, we’ve dealt with two “traumas” as parents – one medical and one environmental, but both events that caused us fear and heartache as parents. I happened to run into my hero mom shortly before the first trauma and again shortly after the second. Understanding her history, I tend to brush off the events in my life when I’m talking to her – knowing that despite some challenges, we have a healthy, happy child. But this hero mom doesn’t operate like that. Instead, she offers hugs, words of wisdom and compassion, and token phrases that have honestly powered me through some of my darkest moments as a mom so far.
This truly amazing woman has been an inspiration to me. It wouldn’t be fair to dismiss the importance she played in my life as a teenager – trusting me with her children and, in a way, acting as a role model to me for when I would become a mother many years down the road. But her heart is so full of love, and in the face of tragedy she has found a way to comfort others with her love and wisdom. In a world full of “mompetition”, I have learned from this mom that sometimes the most heroic thing is a warm hug and a nonjudgmental ear.
Perhaps you know a heroic mom or see one when you look in the mirror. Share your story and be entered for a chance to win $2,500 cash from Allstate. Plus four runner-ups will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card. *The five finalists will be chosen from the Entries receiving the most votes. Don't forget to share your entry and vote for your favorite Hero Mom stories at www.theblogfrog.com/allstate
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