I’m not sure if we talked about the circumstances I was in. It’s funny how words can be forgotten, but the way someone makes you feel will always be the way you remember them. Maybe an angel whispered to you loud enough that you knew you needed to answer. Maybe your mom instinct kicked into high gear when you realized that both of the babies screaming…belonged to me. Maybe you could see me struggling and decided somebody needed to step up. Maybe you just put yourself in my shoes and did what you would hope someone would do for you. Or maybe you are just a very kind person who helps wherever she sees fit.
My biggest regret is not taking a picture of you holding my baby. Sometimes it feels like in today’s world if something wasn’t documented with a camera, it never happened. I don’t even remember your name or where you are from. I honestly don’t even remember what you look like. But I wish so badly I did.
You saved my sanity and probably everyone else’s on that flight. It was easy for everyone else to just sit back and make assumptions about my parenting ability. Instead, you saw a mom in need and you jumped in without skipping a beat.
Flying with kids is one of the most terrifying things in my opinion and it’s nice to know that some people understand the pressure to be perfect isn’t always attainable. Sometimes I really wish people tried harder to help out or at least give a genuine smile at a struggling mom. I couldn’t walk around with a sign that said, ‘Flying alone with twins to say goodbye to my dying father while also leaving behind my other two daughters.’ If I could go back and do it over though, maybe I would make myself that sign. Grief isn’t something you can visibly see with the naked eye, but maybe if they could see the words, people would have been more understanding or empathetic.
Thank you. Thank you for treating me with dignity and love when I desperately needed it. I hope this letter gets to you and I hope you remember us from our picture from that flight. I hope you know you saved a mom from a severe mental breakdown at 35,000 feet in the air.
xoxo,
Molly
By Molly Schultz
**This article originally appeared on Love What Matters. Connect with Molly on her Facebook page Tried & True Mama or Instagram @triedandtruemama.