She wakes up and gets dressed as best as she can. Her mind is making an enormous effort to concentrate. She cannot get out of her head her worries about her kid, about her family, about herself or something else.
There are things that we prefer to keep to ourselves. But some of our burdens may need a little encouragement or a little sympathy from the right person.
At this moment, she is only looking forward to this time: lunch hour. Seating at that table; she knows exactly what she will find.
Someone that cares.
Someone that doesn’t need to share what she is confided.
Someone that gets it.
Occasionally, I have found myself in the position where someone opens up to me. She wasn’t my best bud, we don’t hang out together or talk on the phone but we’ve shared some time with each other. Throughout brief sessions we’ve interchanged stories, likes, dislikes, opinions, beliefs and laughs.
That may be substantially enough to detect honest and reliable goodness in someone. Plus, that day I was there.
Sometimes, that is all that it takes. Someone that gets what marriage is. Someone that gets what motherhood is. Someone that gets what work is and someone that gets what it is to joggle all of that together.
Whichever side of the table you have occupied. Wether it is the one who is available or the one who needs that someone. You know that someday it may be your turn to occupy the other side of the table.
If you are one of these women. Thank you.
Thank you for getting it. Thank you for your empathy. Thank you for not judging.
Thank you for being a sister or a friend disguised as a remote acquaintance. Thank you for not expecting anything in return.
Thank you for being there for one another.
