Today’s Random Act of Kindness goes out to all your working moms out there. As a mom of three children, I’ve had the best of both worlds: working mom and stay-at-home mom. While both roles have their pros and cons (which will not be debated in this post, lol!), the one thing I think everyone can agree on is the internal struggle a working mom has when the time has come to return back to work after a baby is born.
A dear friend of ours (Daniel’s former Kindergarten teacher) had to face this struggle just this past Monday. Already in tears at the thought of having to leave her little boy for the first time, I knew her first day back to school would be emotionally challenging for sure. I decided to make her a little “Welcome Back” bag filled with little goodies to bring a smile to her face.
Each item that was placed in the bag included a little note to go with it. (For those of you who are doing your own RAKs, I’ve included the list at the bottom of this post.)
I even snagged a photo of her baby from her Facebook page and turned it into a magnet so she could place it on her magnetic whiteboard in the classroom and see her baby all day long while teaching.
I sent the gift to school with my son and asked him to give it to his former teacher. All day long I thought of her and prayed her transition was going well. Later in the evening, when I returned home, I was chatting with my son when he nonchalantly said, “I didn’t see my teacher today.” Oh no! Was she so upset that she couldn’t even GO to school?!? Asking for more clarification, it became obvious that I probably shouldn’t have sent the gift to school with my son.
“What happened? Was she sick?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see her,” was his response.
“Did you leave the gift on her desk?” I inquired.
“Nope. I didn’t see her.” he replied again.
Wait a minute. You didn’t see her… and you didn’t leave the gift on her desk… did she even GET the gift? I immediately opened his backpack and lo and behold, there was his teacher’s gift, complete with a bent bag and crumpled tissue paper. (The gift actually looked like it had been used in a pick-up game of Catch to be honest with you!) SHE NEVER GOT THE GIFT!! So much for today’s Random Act of Kindness! Doesn’t mean much to anyone if it never makes it to the final destination! Ha!
Fighting exasperation, I calmly emphasized to my son that I REALLY wanted his teacher to get this gift and it was pretty important that she get the gift SOON. He assured me that if he didn’t see her the next day, he would take it to the office (which is what he did.)
So, the best laid plans… sometimes you come up with a neat idea for a Random Act of Kindness, but it doesn’t work out the way you planned. That’s OK! Just know that whenever you take the time to bless someone else, it’s important (even if delayed!)
Here’s the list of items/messages I included in case the photos aren’t clear. Be blessed my friends and keep paying it forward!
Welcome Back Baby Gift
- Bag of Lifesavers: “Everyone needs a ‘lifesaver’ on their first day back to work.”
- Tissues: “Tissues for just in case”
- Chocolate bar: “Because chocolate makes everything better!”
- Hand sanitizer: “So your first day back is a germ free day”
- Baby powder: “In case you miss your sweet baby’s smell.” (Although I probably should have said “baby’s scent”)
- Baby Photo Magnet: “A magnet for your whiteboard, desk, or file cabinet so you are reminded that your baby will be just fine!” (on the photo I typed “It’s OK, Mommy… I will see you soon! Love, <baby’s name>”)
- Handmade card made by my daughter: http://kitkatkards.wordpress.com (Yes, she is only 14 and owns her own card business!)
Thank you so much for this most amazing random act of kindness! It meant more than even words can say! Though it brought on the waterworks, it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time! Day 1 back at work was a struggle, no doubt, but much of the day was a blur (finding my way through the many piles and getting acquainted with the children)! Day 2, however, was when reality set in! Husband left unexpectedly for work out of town and Bentley and I couldn’t just go back to bed, ignoring the world, cuddling close after his 5:00 feeding like we had grown accustomed to in the previous weeks!
Your gift brought tears, but tears of joy for the blessing in my life! This gift got me through my day and enabled me to survive my first week! It let me know that I was not alone in the way I was feeling about being apart from my sweet boy! It also encouraged me to enjoy every precious moment we do have together!
The magnet was my favorite! I looked at it every chance I got – when I was missing him,feeling blue, stumbling upon some roadblocks at work, or jut needing the day to go by faster so we could be together again!
Thank you so much, Mrs. Letter! You’re a gem and I shall never forget this most gracious act:)
I’ll certainly be paying it forward!!!