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Too busy
By ella | February 28, 2007
Already weary from a morning which has had to be planned with military precision, the mother queues for a parking spot in the crowded car park. Toddlers and pre-schoolers dart between cars while their impatient mothers gather lunchboxes and hats.
Forced to the furthest point in the car park she unloads the children and then swings the baby onto her hip. She hands them their lunchboxes whilst simultaneously shepherding them away from oncoming cars and then, balancing the baby precariously, picks up a toddler car seat awkwardly in each hand and they set off up the long driveway to the nursery. A million and one mothers swarm up and down the driveway - her prize for being on time, she thinks with relief, for someone will offer to help. Every few steps she stops and readjusts the baby slipping from the crook of her arm or swaps the seats - designed without handles for carrying, she thinks with irritation - from one hand to the other. It won’t matter though because any second somebody will offer to help.
‘Morning.’ ‘You’ve got your hands full.’ Mothers pass her going the other way, rushing off to work, to the gym, to something more pressing. Clearly no time to spare. Other mothers pass by her. She puts the seats down for a second before the baby falls. Should she stop someone and ask for help? she wonders. Surely somebody will offer to help.
She reaches the entrance last. The lobby is crowded with chattering mothers, busy with gossip. Catching her breath, she turns and sees cars already filtering out of the car park. The sun blinds her for a few seconds, suspending the moment.
Too busy, she thinks. Shame on them all.
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Categories: Other Mothers
4 Comments
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Yeah…everyone is “too busy,” right?
I just stopped by your blog for the first time and wanted to let you know I’m really enjoying it!
I’m amazed no-one offered to help. You’d have thought another mother would be the first to understand.
I was at the grocery store a couple weeks back and I sound of choking and a father saying, “Are you okay? Are you alright??” And down the aisle from was this dad and his two little kids and his poor son threw up all over the floor in the dairy aisle. Everyone walking by just got as far away from them as possible and no one offered any help. I gave him all the baby wipes I had (I thought, dad out alone with kids-I’m sure he hasn’t any wipes!) and helped him clean up his little boy. You’d think I’d just given him a bag full of money, he was so happy. I can’t believe no one else stopped to help out. How have things gotten so sad?
On a good note, my neighbor just came by without asking and began snow-blowing my driveway with her new gadget because she knows I’m unable to shovel. There is some light in the world! Ella, I might not have been able to help you carrying anything (or anyone!) but I would have bought you a coffee afterward!
i still like to think that for every person that doesn’t stop to help (and this is not just restricted to mothers) there is another kind soul who would. I just didn’t meet any that morning. Unfortunately no-one helped when I did the same thing later that afternoon, getting three children and two carseats back to the car in the rain, but I think that says more about the mothers at my children’s preschool than anything else. The offer of coffee would have been gratefully received!
Diane - thanks for stopping by.