I hesitate to say this.
Last week, I met a man with kind eyes and somehow, I cannot seem to forget them. His eyes were not laden with stress, or hurried or sad or suspicious. Just kind. There was no phone in his hand, there was no distraction or sadness, just this wide smile. It was a moment I probably needed more than he did.
It is what I miss most – being kind to strangers. But in this instance, I needed that reassurance as well. This was not an act of one-sided kindness – it was an exchange of kindness. It was real and it was tangible and the $5 may have fed him a meal, but the kindness in those eyes fed my soul.
And therein lies the thing that sustains us, the notion that we are not just constantly giving with nothing in return. That we are seen, if just for a moment. And if you do not have someone to look at you with kindness and reassure you that you have value and are doing a great job, we would like to be that face. If we could give you anything in this New Year, we want to give you the reassurance of your undeniable value to this world and the people around you. So, when giving and planning and organizing and worrying make the days get long and stressful, may we cling to those sweet moments that someone looked at us in a way that made us feel seen and fed our soul. Take a deep breath and imagine us looking at you with kindness and reassuring you that all this hard work, all the sleepless nights, all the times you FED someone else (whether they liked it or not)….has value because you have value.
As this year comes to an end, we are grateful to be a part of a universal language. Appreciation exchanged in a moment. A connection that takes place that feeds us all. Even if the person we serve cannot speak the words; meeting needs, meets our needs. We may not hear it but we can feel it, and it is real and powerful. So, we would like to be a reminder of the reflection of the kindness you give the world and celebrate those moments as you see it in the eyes of your child.
We want to challenge you to keep a mental snapshot of the sweetness that kept you going.
Sometimes they take us by surprise, when we are about to explode over an interrupted zoom meeting; but the interruption breeds the connection that results in even the tiniest flash of appreciation; it is enough to keep us going. It is that little laugh that comes when we are cleaning the sweet potatoes off their little nose that their brother just spit on their face. The glance that says, we are in this together and disarms the messy chaos and saves the day. One small act.
There is no suggestion here. There is no “should” or promise that these 400 words will change you forever. It is just a celebration of the moments of kindness that kept us going, from the glances from strangers, to our kids and the look in their eyes just when we thought we wouldn’t make it another moment. And together, we allow those moments to restore what is human inside of all. We have the key to fulfillment, it is clawing at our leg, demanding our touch and looking to give us something; that satisfying sense of connection that we need so desperately when we give so much.
To see and be seen and to be interrupted by the extraordinary power of humanity, that is what we hope for you in this New Year. May you be reminded of your value and may you have days filled with the kind, knowing glances that really feed your soul.
Looking for more? Moms on Call is with you every step of the way, from basic baby care to the trenches of toddlerhood! Our resources guide you through the basics of feeding, sleeping, and safety, including general cheat sheets and tips to get you through each imperfectly perfect day.
