I had a great encounter with a sweet, elderly woman at the salad bar at our grocery store in our small town. (Does this remind anyone else of Pearl Jam’s Elderly Woman Behind a Counter in a Small Town?) We exchanged the usual pleasantries. After sharing my kids’ stats (ages, names, etc.), she shared her own motherhood story, telling me her two children were born 13 months apart, and then touching my arm, admitting the next child came 6 YEARS LATER with a laugh.
In looking in her eyes, I knew she fully understood and appreciated the hard work and many thankless tasks that are all wrapped up in the ultimate joy of motherhood. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mom and am so proud of my children, but it is not humanly possible to enjoy every minute of parenting. So I accept and cherish the million dollar moments and try to speed up the clock when I’m in the trenches with the worst tantrums and bodily fluids du jour. I thank this sweet elderly woman for admiring my children, while offering me encouragement! You made Go Mama O’s Day! What’s your favorite story of encountering a stranger while in public?
Here are some similar takes from other bloggers:
go mama o. 
I love running into grandmas!!! They give us their encouragement, take a genuine interest in our kids and give us the knowledge that we will make it through this motherhood thing and still be able to look at other children fondly and reminisce about our own experiences in a positive light!!!
So well said! I’m glad you like these encounters too.