You’ve Got This
It has been over 5 months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO. Depending on what day you are reading this, it has been over 154 days, over 3696 hours, over 221760 minutes, and over 13305600 seconds of you, mom, playing all the roles in parenting. And let me tell you, I see you. As hard as this transition has been for all of us, I want you to know that you are killin’ it, mama! Even if it doesn’t feel like it. 
One of the best things about being a mom, apart from the little blessings you bring into the world, is the tribe of moms you surround yourself with. They make all the difference and have a way of making hard times not feel so hard. They support you and love on you when you need it the most! It has been difficult not being able to see my girlfriends through all of this. I miss them!
Fear
One of the hardest parts for our family during this period of time has been that my son has not received therapy, even virtual, because he hasn’t been able to have an in-person assessment from the school district. I can try my best to mimic activities that I find on Pinterest or Youtube to help him, but what it boils down to is I am not a speech therapist or an occupational therapist.
Anxiety
Since he is an only child (for the time being) and also has a speech delay, I wanted to make sure he still had some kind of safe social outdoor interaction with other kids his age so that he didn’t fall too far behind and lose the progress he has made over the last year. One thing that has been on my mind during all of this is how people, especially children, will react towards my son and the delays he does have. I know that he isn’t receiving therapy right now, but will they? If they can tell he is delayed then it surely comes back on me because I’m the teacher and I’m the therapist. Wait, no… I’m just a mom.
Reality
I have always been worried about kids bullying him because he might do things a little bit differently than they do. We went to the park a while back and another mom and her children were playing in the grass. 
We have had playdates in the past with them but not since my son stopped his therapy. The kids chased each other and looked for pine cones. The children picked leaves off the ground and put them in a large pile and pretended to roast marshmallows around a campfire. To them, it wasn’t a big deal that he ate the leaves. The little girl told my son that leaves were yucky. My son just smiled at her and continued to feel the crunch of the leaf and explore it with his tongue.
I ran into the same kindness and acceptance from a little girl that we had never met. 
She asked me why the words that came out of his mouth didn’t make any sense. I told her that he understands everything she says, but that he talks to others a little bit differently than she does. She didn’t care at all! They rode their bikes and pretended to be firefighters racing to a burning building. I realized what was taking place and all the anxiety I had stopped. It stopped because of you!
Thank You
This letter is for the stay-at-home mama in the grocery store trying to wrangle her kids together, for the mama working outside of the home and taking on all the roles during 2020, for the single mama who is a shining example of hard work and determination. You, mama, gave me an overwhelming sense of calm. I may not know you, and our children may have never played together, but you are raising your child right.
Through all of this, you are doing your job. You are teaching your child to be kind to people who are different and teaching them manners. So as hard as this all has been, I write this thank you letter to you; you are my tribe. Thank you for waking up each morning and playing all the roles. It doesn’t matter if you think you aren’t any good at them. What matters is that you are trying your best, and for that… I see you.
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