Little Guy is napping right now, but when he wakes we are going to The Samaritan House (http://www.samaritanhouseva.org/) to donate a few things; namely, his bouncer and some outfits he outgrew before he had a chance to wear.
You know, it's funny. Mr. Zookeeper and I used to joke that my body's ideal state of being was while I was pregnant. This is because unlike most pregnant women, I didn't experience any wild surge of hormones. In fact, my moods were improved by pregnancy. And after I had the baby, I was still really even keeled. Perhaps the most level I've ever been. I didn't have any of those hour-long crying jags, or panic attacks, or onslaught of over-protective-mama-bearness that you hear about or see exaggerated in the movies.
But a few weeks ago, when I was returning some books to the library, I noticed a sign posted on the entrance wall. Perhaps you've seen it around town before. Its a simple graphic of a woman holding a child and it says "Safe Place."
It hit me hard. I stared at the sign, and then in the rear view mirror -- where I could see Little Guy calmly chewing on his fist in the car seat -- and then collapsed into tears. At the time, I couldn't imagine a world where we didn't feel safe. It destroyed me to think that some mother out there -- even just one mother -- lives in that world.
It's a heavy feeling. This weekend made it even more real. There are too many women who live in this world; whether through poverty, or domestic violence, or tragedy. And now I just hope that by giving a little back, I can feel a little lighter.
You lean on me, and I'll lean on you.
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