Life Lessons Learned Through Another Mother

So there’s this other Mom I know in the community that I run into quite a bit.

For the sake of this post, let’s call her Julie (that is NOT her name and for the life of me I can’t remember it right now, so it could possibly be her name, but I’m about 98.356% sure it’s not).

Julie’s son and my son go to the same school. Julie’s been to a few of the same birthday parties as me. Julie and her family go to the same church as us. Julie goes to the same gym in town that we do.

So you get it right? I see Julie out and about quite a bit.

We’ve talked a few times after Zumba or while waiting for our child to get out of school (during the times I’ve actually walked up to the front to get him).

But we’ve never really “gelled” as they say. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s her, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s both. Maybe we just don’t “gel” well.

I’d like to be her friend. I’d like to be most people’s friends but when we do talk it seems forced and just a formality. Like something we “have” to do. You know the drill.

Part of it, at least from my perspective, is that she always seems distracted or in her own little world. Like even when I’m talking to her she’s already moved on to the next thing in her head, her eyes looking past me even.

So then it got me wondering if I ever “seem” that way while talking to others…

Today, as I drove through the car pick up line to get The B Man, I saw her walking away from school, slowly behind her son AND husband. Yes, her husband and her both come to get their son EVERY. DAY. And she wears scrubs and I’ve heard (she didn’t tell me, someone else did) that she’s a surgical nurse at one of the hospitals in town.

I watched her through my windshield, as she walked along carrying her son’s backpack on her shoulder and she had kind of a weird/strange/sick look on her face and then I wondered… Maybe she is carrying other burdens on her shoulders that I don’t even know about. I realized then and there…

I really know NOTHING about this woman.

She could be going through some stuff that I have no idea what it is.

Who knows why her husband comes along every day in shorts and a t-shirt, to pick up their son. Perhaps he lost his job. Maybe she brings “home the bacon” and she’s more tired than I could possibly imagine. Maybe someone died at the hospital today.

I have no clue.

All we’ve ever exchanged are pleasantries.

So then it got me wondering if I have a “funny” look on my face, what do people think may be going on in my life?

Anyway, I’ve learned a few lessons here (just since I’ve been typing).

You won’t be friends with someone just because you have a lot of “around town” places in common.

REALLY listen to people and look at them when they are talking to you because otherwise they may not think you are actually listening to them.

And always try to wear a smile in public (notice I said try) no matter what’s going on in your life.

That’s all. Carry on.