I wanted to write about the kindness I've received from other mamas. When you're pregnant, you get this amazing chance to be the recipient of the true, generous human spirit that lives in all of us, especially, I've noticed, from other mothers. The first experience happened on the last morning of our vacation to the Caribbean. Tim and I decided to spend our last night in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico and stay at a boutique hotel I had stayed at more than 10 years ago. I've never forgotten its quirky, artsy feel and over the top Rococo decor that transports one back to a much more elegant time. After getting a great night's rest in our king size canopy bed and wall tapestries to match (we got an ocean view room), we headed to the breakfast bar to see if the staff would be willing to feed us 15 min. early since our taxi was picking us up early. The young Puerto Rican man behind the bar became frazzled - he was behind schedule, not ahead, and so we decided to just go with the flow. If all we got was a hot cup of Yaucono coffee, perfecto. As I sat in the garden room looking up at the tropical plants growing along the brick facade, a sweet faced Puerto Rican woman in her 70's who worked for the inn approached me and asked when I was due. Soon we were conversing in Spanish about what it feels to be a mother, her struggle with miscarriages, that her only son was close in age to me. I don't know what it was - her deliberate, easy to understand questions or her kind approach, but my Spanish surprisingly rolled off my tongue. When she asked if I had eaten, I explained my husband and I were waiting for breakfast but that the food was not ready yet. I admitted I was starving. She said, "of course you are, you're pregnant!" She marched in to the breakfast bar, grabbed a saute pan and told the young man she was going to cook a meal for me. He seemed annoyed and she repeated even louder to him,"She's PREGNANT - she must eat!" She turned and asked if I liked "huevos con queso or con jamon" and then preceded to whip up a plate of eggs, homemade muffins, a bowl of freshly sliced mango and pineapple and crusty white rolls with butter. And a hot cup of coffee. Tim's eyes widened when he saw my plate. We were both speechless. You've got to understand - this continental breakfast served to all guests does not include a hot plate of eggs. Turns out, this sweet woman even got us our fruit plate early. Other guests only got muffins and coffee to start. When I went to thank her again, she had vanished. Off to clean a room or make more muffins. I don't know. But I'll never forget this generous gift she gave me and my baby. I was so sated and ready to travel after that breakfast prepared with love. When I got back to Castle Rock, Dax and I were walking out of the library with a stack of 15 books. I was barely able to hold the books, my purse and hold his hand at the same time as we were about to cross the parking lot. He decided at that precarious moment to have a mini-melt down about book returns. He wanted to go back and feed our books onto the "drop off" conveyor belt. Dax didn't understand that on this day we were taking books out, not returning them. Crocodile tears spilled down the cheeks and he wouldn't budge. I finally had to be firm and say we had to get to the car, meanwhile my books were starting to fall out of my arms. Suddenly, a young mom came running up to me and said, "I'll carry your son to the car, you take the books." I wanted to say that I was fine, I could handle the situation, but honestly, I couldn't. I did need help. She got us to our car and told me to have a great rest of the day. I was flabbergasted. Dax is still talking about the woman who carried him to the car. We were both appreciative of her kindness. Thank you to moms who look out for the ones pregnant and bumbling along. And understanding that we do have our hands full literally and figuratively with a toddler and that we are always, always hungry.