The Kindness of "Rescue Mom"

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."

~ Mark Twain

I presently find myself part of a one-car family -- thanks to a young woman who ran a stop sign and crashed into my husband's car.  My husband is fine, which is what matters; his car is not.  But thanks to Uber and Freebie (my local free ride service), we are managing quite well.  In the mornings, I have been walking one of my children to school, which is actually nice -- unless it rains. 

On a recent morning, after I walked my son to school, I was on my way to get myself an overpriced latte when the skies opened and a torrential rain came down.  I sought refuge in the coffee shop and figured I would ride out the storm.  And then my mother called and asked me if I had gotten caught in the rain.  How did you know? I asked her.  She said that she knew I had been walking my son to school.  My mother offered to pick me up, but I told her that I had two more stops to make before I returned home.  No matter, she said, and offered to drive me to where I needed to go and then home.  Even though she was on her way to work quite a distance from where we live.  I appreciated my mother's thoughtfulness even more than she can probably imagine. 

As my mother was driving me to my last stop, my brother called and asked her what she was doing.  "I just rescued your sister," my mother said jokingly.  I began calling her Rescue Mom.  It is a nickname that has been well-earned over decades of rescue operations.