I think every mom has been there. You were up all night with the baby and you're dead on your feet. You see a bench and all you want to do is just lie down and take a nap. In public. Well, one mom did just that ... right in the middle of a Fun 4 Kidz play center (think Chuck E. Cheese's without the giant rat). Her story has just gone viral on Facebook ... but moms, it's not what you think!
See, you're probably guessing that picture shaming this mom is all over the Internet, right? That's how moms do things these days. They judge first, ask questions later.
Well, unless you're radio DJ Tara Jean Stevens. She spotted that mom napping on the playland bench, and what she did is pretty darn inspiring.
Stevens shared the following on the Kiah and Tara Jean Facebook page, and it's quickly spread across the social media site:
// Post by Kiah & Tara Jean.Oh. Em. Gee.
A mother who didn't call CPS immediately? Didn't call the cops? Showed, gasp, a little ... compassion?
Let's all give a nice round of applause for Tara Jean!
Done?
OK, now here's what I need you all to do. Go out and be Tara Jean for a day or maybe even a week?
Try digging a Kleenex out of your purse for the mom with the kid who won't stop sniffling and hand it to her kindly instead of whispering to your husband that that woman just can't seem to wipe her kids' damn noses.
Try grabbing the kid running pell mell out of the grocery store and walking him calmly back to the mom who is trying desperately to get the infant out of the carrier and screaming to little Jack to get his butt back here.
Try being part of that global village everyone is always talking about but so unwilling to do their part to be a member of.
The fact is, sometimes motherhood is overwhelming and exhausting and all you want to do is take a nap. This doesn't just happen to drug addicted losers or moms who tied one on the night before. It happens to normal, everyday moms who are trying their best but just so happen to have a teething toddler who was up every hour on the hour the night before.
So how about looking at that mom passed out on the bench at the playland next time and thinking, "There but for the grace of God go I," instead of "Ooh, better take a picture and shame her on Facebook." One day that really could be you dozing off while your kids are playing ... and something tells me you want a Tara Jean on your side.
But first you've got to be a Tara Jean to someone else. As they say, what goes around comes around. Don't you want what's coming around to you to be a little compassion and kindness?
Have you had a Tara Jean moment? Share it!
Image via Facebook