Yesterday morning I sat in a coffee shop to do some work and savor a dark-roasted coffee. It wasn’t long before mothers with young children arrived in packs, pushing tables together and doing their best to maintain crowd control.
Children hopped from table to table to find the best one and the most comfortable seat — even though each table had the same chairs. One little boy insisted the 2-person table he chose was the best, no matter how much his mother tried to persuade him the 4-person table next to them would fit the three of them better. That was until they sat down, the mother took off her coat, and got situated. Then at that very moment, the little boy hopped up and moved to a chair at the 4-person table announcing, “I’m sitting over here!”
I chuckled. I remembered when my daughter was that little. I found myself smiling at the mothers, amused by this little boy, and at the same time touched by the excitement and adventure of the other little ones in the coffee shop.
My quiet haven for working turned into a romping room full of chatter and disgruntled children from time to time, but I didn’t mind. I think God gifted mothers in that way–we can tune out the noise to accomplish some things, but yet at the same time be relentlessly in tune with the noise to know when to pay closer attention. Right?
It was my few moments of not being on Mom Patrol so I was in my little corner of solitude in spite of the commotion. Since these young ones weren’t my responsibility, I tuned out the noise. But not before I was reminded of the camaraderie mothers need.
There is something about walking alongside another woman who’s either in the same season of life, or has just moved into the next. It’s refreshing, hopeful, engaging, and let’s face it … it’s downright enjoyable to actually have an adult conversation!
Most of the moms who arrived, came with a friend. While one mother went to place her order, the other occupied the children. It was simple, yet understood teamwork
We need other women around us – no matter what season of life we are in. There are also times we need our solitude, even if it’s small increments of time where we can set down our Mom Patrol duty and just be.
So what do you need today? Pick up the phone and call a friend. Or if you need to, retreat to the bathroom if that’s the only solitude available. It’s okay — you’ll know when to tune back in … a two-year-old’s silence is always a good clue.