Parenting is hard for everyone, but it can be even more difficult for single parents. When you have a partner, you can usually lean on them for physical and emotional support. When you're in it alone, your kids depend on you for everything, and you're responsible for all the challenges that come your way.
Everyone, especially parents, can use a little help from time to time — though it can be more meaningful when it comes from a stranger.
Suzanne Maughan is a single mom of two who definitely knows how hard it is to have all the responsibility lie on her.
On March 25, 2017, Suzanne took her daughter out for a special mommy-daughter breakfast. While they were eating, they briefly chatted with another woman before returning to their meal.
Suzanne went to pay for the bill at the end of their breakfast, but when she saw what was on the receipt, she was blown away.
[H/T: Love What Matters]
Suzanne shared the following story on the Facebook page Love What Matters, where her photo went viral.
Within a few days, it had gotten over 23,000 reactions and over 1,000 shares.
Suzanne wrote:
My precious girl and I went to breakfast this morning and after sitting down, a lady was seated at the table right next to us.
She was by herself and kept looking over and smiling at us.
When our food came, I began to cut up Hayley’s pancakes when the lady leaned over and said to her, “You must have the best mom in the whole world. Never forget how amazing she is.”
She then told me she had a daughter who is now 49 and lives all the way in Baltimore.
She told us her name is Mary and we gave her our names.
Throughout the meal, we would have little conversations but mostly, she seemed to just be observing my relationship with my daughter and smiling at us.
When we went up front to pay for our food, Mary had already left, but waiting for us was the news she had paid for our food and left us a sweet note on the receipt.
"Thank you for sharing your mother day and daughter day with me. Mary."
Mary doesn’t know I’m a single mother of two.
She doesn't know how difficult this week has been for me.
She doesn't know my anxieties and insecurities and how much I pray to not feel so lonely.
But God knows.
And today, Mary listened to that prompting and was able to be our angel, to remind us how loved we are.
So thank you, Mary.
You have made such a difference in my life with your kindness.
How sweet is this story? It's always great to see strangers doing nice things for other people. Mary truly is Suzanne's angel.
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