Newborn babies are fun to watch, but for their tired moms, those first few months are so much more than that! Women go from arduous chores to weeks of sleep deprivation. And when they finally step outside to enjoy the fresh air with their children, they find themselves judged by strangers on how they choose to care for their children!
Baby Jaxon McQueen was a feisty 8-week-old boy, and it took all of his mother’s energy to keep him happy and healthy.
So when Briar Lucia McQueen, Jackson’s mother, decided she had to leave home for his sanity, she took him with her to the nearest restaurant for breakfast.
The boy had been fed before he left the house, so Breyer expected a bit of quiet for an hour or two. Unfortunately, as soon as her food and hot chocolate arrived, Breyer felt her baby wake up. Before she could have a single bite, Jaxon decided he wanted to be fed too.
Resigned to her fate, Briar put aside her breakfast and pulled Jaxon close to feed him. She hadn’t become used to feeding Jaxon in public yet, but she refused to let her son go hungry just to appease other people’s sense of normality. She decided that she was willing to risk disapproval if it meant Jaxon was nourished.
After several minutes, Briar sensed someone coming towards her table. Looking up, she saw an elderly woman.
Inevitably, Briar’s first thought was that she was about to be chided for breastfeeding in public
She braced herself for a quarrel, but then watched in amazement as the woman picked up the knife and fork and began to cut her food into bite-size pieces.
The older woman smiled at Brier and congratulated her on being such a wonderful mother. She also added that she felt bad seeing Briar’s food get cold. That’s why the lady thought of coming to cut the food so that Briar could eat with one hand.
I hadn’t expected such a thoughtful gesture from a complete stranger, Briar almost sobbing.
Back home, she decided to share the story with her family and friends on Facebook.
Her post and the accompanying photo of an older woman cutting her food got more attention than Breyer expected. Soon the Love What Matters Facebook page picked up the story and went viral.
The comments section is full of experiences from moms around the world, some great and some outrageous. But through it all, everyone agreed Breyer’s post gave them hope. It wasn’t just about being grumpy, it was also nice to see a woman reaching out to help another woman.
Photo credits: ©Facebook | Briar Lusia Mcqueen
