Living in the Midwest, I see that kindness is a value that most people around here share. I find most people hold open doors for each other and return my smiles. But ever since becoming a mom of twins, I have been baffled by the amount of kindness strangers offer up to me on a daily basis. I can't tell you how many times people have held doors open for me when I'm trying to get the double stroller through a doorway. I also drop an amazing amount of items (baby socks, pacifiers, burp rags, toys, baby shoes...) and I can always count of some kind stranger to pick it up for me when I don't notice. People help me carry high chairs to tables in restaurants when they see me struggling to hold both a baby and a high chair. People are just kind and it just warms my heart every time kindness is shared with me.
Some people go above and beyond to help me out. And I don't even have to ask for help. They just offer it up. I'm sure I generally look a bit frazzled and maybe that's why people are so quick to offer a helping hand.
Take a trip to the splash park, for example. My fellow mom friend (Hey, Emily!) and I decided to meet up at a local splash park. I had taken the babies to a splash park with the help of my mom before, but I had never gone on my own. After giving myself a pep talk and taking a ridiculous amount of time putting on swim diapers and swim suits and sunscreen, we arrived at the park. I decided to put Lyla in the Ergobaby carrier and wear her while just holding Archer on my hip to make it from the car to the splash park. Once we got to the splash park, I took Lyla out of the carrier and set her down by a little water fountain and let Archer walk around. I tried my best to keep Lyla from crawling on the concrete so she didn't scrape up her knees and keep Archer from falling down so he wouldn't crack his head open. It was a workout, let me tell you! Archer kept wanting to wander off on his own, so I would try to follow him. But I had to keep my eye on Lyla at the same time. I would let Archer walk a ways, then carry him back to Lyla. Lyla would try to crawl away, so I would grab her and try to get her to sit back down. Then run after Archer...and so on and so forth. My friend had her own two girls to look after. Needless to say, we didn't get much time to chat.
After about 10 minutes, which felt more like 2 hours, we decided to go to the playground part of the park. I figured I would put Archer and Lyla in the baby swings, so I just grabbed one baby under each arm. When we got to the playground, of course the baby swings were in use. I decided I couldn't just stand there holding my heavy babies, so I figured I would put Lyla back in the Ergobaby carrier and wear her. That way I could just follow Archer around. So I put both babies down in the wood chips that covered the playground so I could get the carrier situated. Of course both Archer and Lyla decided they wanted to put all the wood chips in their mouth. I would pull a wood chip out of one of their mouths, then try to get the carrier strapped on. They were so stinking fast and persistent about eating those wood chips that I couldn't get the carrier on! Some nice grandma saw me struggling and said, "Do you want me to hold one of your babies while you get that on?" After sizing her up and deciding I could take her if she was actually a child abductor, I said, "Yes, please!" So she held Archer, who was now soaking wet and covered in wood chips, while I got the carrier on and Lyla in place. She told me I was brave for taking both babies to the park by myself. I was thinking it was stupid of me by this point. But her kind offer of help and her kind words were exactly what I needed at that moment. It really meant a lot to me and I will forever remember that lady.
Another example of kindness from a stranger happened just the other day at the grocery store. I go to Aldi to grocery shop because they have carts with two seats so both babies can ride in them. But you have to put a quarter in the cart in order to use them. I haven't quite figured out the best order in which to do things in to get from the car to the store. Do I leave the babies in the car, get a cart, and then come back to the car? (I feel like if I do that I risk someone calling child services on me.) Or do I carry both babies from the car, somehow get a quarter into the cart without dropping one of the babies (or the diaper bag or the grocery bags), and then put the babies in the cart?
This last time I went to Aldi, I decided I would carry both babies to the carts. So I managed to get the diaper bag (which is a backpack, even though I swore I would never be one of those moms) and the reuseable grocery bags (so the planet is still around when Archer and Lyla are grown ups) and both babies and a quarter in my hand (without one of the babies eating it). We made our way to the carts and I started trying to get my quarter in the little slot without dropping a baby. That's when some nice lady came up to me and said, "Let me help you." She took my quarter and got me a cart. Of course the cart didn't have both safety belts intact. But that didn't end her kindness. That sweet lady rearranged three different carts before we found one with both safety belts.
These seemingly small acts of kindness certainly weren't small to me. They made my life way easier! So to honor the kindness that has been shown to me, I try to show others kindness. My grandma (Hey, Mama!) has told me since I was a kid that she tries to do one good deed a day. That has always stuck with me and I plan to pass it along to Archer and Lyla. You never know when a good deed or small act of kindness can truly help someone out.
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