Last month, my husband and I took our kids on vacation to a national park. We were all itching to escape the Midwest humidity and camp in the mountains. We pulled into the parking lot at the trailhead for our first day of hiking and stared at each other. Dozens and dozens of people were spilling out of vehicles and trekking toward the trail. Not a single empty spot was to be seen.

My husband and I discussed driving back down the road 15 minutes to the shuttle bus or making a lap around the parking lot in hopes that a space would open. My husband suggested he drop me off at the end of the lot so I could watch for anyone about to leave. Just as I hopped out, I saw a couple getting into their car.

“Do you mind if we have your spot?” I asked.

They said we were welcome to it.

I thanked them and stepped into the empty spot to wait for my family.

RELATED: Take a Trip Around the World From Your Kitchen (and Take Photos!)

“Hey!” A park ranger suddenly appeared, briskly walking towards me. “Hey! You can’t do that! You need to move! You can’t save parking spaces!”

“I understand, sir, but my husband is just right there,” I said, motioning to our truck coming around the far side of the parking lot.

“I don’t care! You can’t save spots! Nobody can save spots! You need to move right now!” he said waving his hands as if to shoo me along.

I wanted to laugh. His voice and the intonation of his words reminded me of the gate guard from The Wizard of Oz. “Nobody can see the Great Oz! Not nobody, not no how!”

Then I wanted to yell, “Give me a break, dude! You have no idea the amount of time and effort it took to get here. I am physically tired from planning, packing, and repacking then driving eight hours with four children who ate through all the snacks within the first 100 miles. And now I’m emotionally overwhelmed. We were hoping to enjoy the mountains as a family, not share the park with half of America. I was not expecting all of this!”

But I stopped myself. And I prayed, “Hail Mary, full of grace. Please lend me some of yours.”

RELATED: No One is Having An Easy Time Right Now

I looked at this man. He was not expecting all of this. This crowd. This parking lot. This new job description. The eyes from behind his neoprene mask looked tired. The white hair under his park ranger hat was dripping with sweat. His sturdy brown boots showed wear and tear. I’m sure he never expected to manage people in a pandemic during his park service career.

I stepped away from the empty parking space and onto the sidewalk with him. “Sir, we are all just trying to do our best.”

A minivan slid into the spot I had hoped to save for my family. Everyone inside was smiling. I could see kids in the back bouncing with anticipation. I was genuinely happy for them.

What?” he took a step backward.

“We are all just trying to do our best right now,” I smiled at him.

He raised his arms up in the air and let them fall to his sides in exasperation. Then he turned on his heel and walked toward the other side of the parking lot.

My husband drove around the corner just as an SUV backed out of a space.

“Good job, dear! Did you find this spot just now?”

Something like that.

RELATED: We Take Vacations With Our Kids Because It’s About the Memories, Not the Moments

We unloaded, grabbed the CamelBak and sunscreen, made sure the youngest was actually wearing shoes, and took off for the trail. We stopped by a little bridge at the trailhead to admire the water when a voice asked, “Would you folks like a map?”

I turned to see the park ranger. I smiled. He nodded at me.

He offered my kids maps and explained how the stream under the bridge was fed by the waterfall which in turn was created by the mountain snow melting. One of my children noticed the number of long sticks piled at the bottom of the stream.

“Those are from people who decided to toss in their hiking sticks once they got down the trail,” the ranger said.

“Doesn’t that make a mess after a while? Doesn’t it dam up the stream?” my daughter asked.

“Sometimes. But the water just does the best it can to go around the sticks and make its way downstream.”

Indeed. We are all just doing the best we can to make our way downstream.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Alexis Linehan

Alexis is an occupational therapist, the wife of a National Guard helicopter pilot, and the mama to four very energetic small humans. The military life has taken them to different states and through several deployments, but they currently call Nebraska home. Alexis enjoys cantoring at Mass, going on camping adventures with her family, and reading anything (and everything) under the sun. She volunteers for the National Guard Family Readiness and is a contributing writer at The Military Mom Collective. You can follow her on Facebook at This End Up in Life.

I Didn’t Know Anxiety until I Knew Grief

In: Grief, Living, Loss, Motherhood
Woman crouched on ground by waterfront

If you had known me for the first 45 years of my life, you would say I was an extrovert. I loved going places, meeting new people, and striking up conversations with all ages. I talk a lot, often sharing too much in the way of being transparent. It’s been said that I have never met a stranger. Yes, I will admit, I am that woman you see in the grocery store line starting up conversations with the people around me. A few years ago, my life started changing, and I struggled with becoming introverted. Though I had once loved...

Keep Reading

We Built a Rock-Solid Foundation in Our Little Home

In: Living, Marriage
Couple on front porch

I found my brand-new husband, sitting on the floor of the only bedroom in our brand-new house. His back propped against the wall, muscular legs extending from his khaki shorts, bare feet overlapping at the ankles. His arms were crossed in a gesture of defiance and there was an unfamiliar, challenging scowl on his face. Plopping down beside him on the scratchy harvest gold carpeting, I asked, “What’s wrong?” “This is it?” he mumbled. “This is what we used our savings for?” I stood up, tugging on his bent elbows in a vain attempt to get him to his feet....

Keep Reading

I Am an Adult with Autism

In: Living, Motherhood
Mother and three children in wildflowers, color photo

Thirty years. That’s how long it took for me to get the right diagnoses. Thirty years. Of struggles. Of shame. Of depression and anxiety. Of bullying. All without knowing the true causes and what was really going on. I never would have believed you if you told me a few years ago that I was autistic. It wasn’t until all three of my children were diagnosed with autism that I started to see the similarities and begin to question. At first, I thought there was no way. Wouldn’t I have known by now? It just can’t be. So I threw...

Keep Reading

I’m Thankful for the Community We’ve Found

In: Friendship, Living, Motherhood
Community on street having a picnic

It was the end of the school holidays, and the return to school after Christmas was looming. The children had had two weeks at home. The general sense of routine was lost for the boys, with late nights and relaxing days watching YouTube while playing their Switch. I was eager for routine to make a reappearance through school. As we headed into the weekend before the start of school, Josh had a cough and then a fever, and it became clear this would not be the week I had envisioned. By Monday morning the boys appeared more lethargic than usual,...

Keep Reading

Kate Middleton Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

In: Living, News

After weeks of speculation about her whereabouts, Kate Middleton has surfaced with a shocking announcement: she’s been diagnosed with cancer. In a video released Friday, Catherine, the Princess of Wales sits on an outdoor bench and speaks directly to the camera about her diagnosis. It follows a “planned abdominal surgery” announced by the Royal family in January. At that time, the Palace said Kate would not resume her Royal duties until Easter. At the time, Kate says, the procedure was believed to be for something non-cancerous. After the surgery, it was determined cancer was present. The type of cancer has...

Keep Reading

Invite People Over, It’s Always Worth It

In: Friendship, Living
Family greeting friends on front steps of house

I meticulously vacuumed and mopped, water streaks practically mocking me with the contrast of dirty to clean. Tending to the floors was always my least favorite chore, but now that people were coming over, it was a necessity I couldn’t ignore. I obsessively worried that crumbs would stick to guest’s feet during dinner and that thought alone sent me into round three of detecting those that were camouflaged. When the new couple arrived, I was relieved they were wearing socks. I had set the table with extra linens and placemats to which my perplexed children inquired, “What are these?” as...

Keep Reading

Find True Friends and Hold on Tight

In: Friendship, Living, Motherhood
Friends walking away with arms linked

I’m a mother of two young boys, ages three years old and three months old. Since the recent birth of my youngest son, I’ve transitioned from therapist and social worker in the workplace to stay-at-home mom. I’ve come to realize I’m no expert on parenting and there are many things I’m uncertain of as a mother, but there is one thing that I’m completely sure of . . . we all need the real mom friends in our lives. The real mom friends are the ones who show up authentically for you in your life and provide you with the...

Keep Reading

My Aunt Is the Woman I Want to Become

In: Faith, Living
Woman with older woman smiling

It’s something she may not hear enough, but my aunt is truly amazing. Anyone who knows her recognizes her as one-of-a-kind in the best way possible. It’s not just her playful jokes that bring a smile to my face, her soul is genuinely the sweetest I know. I hope she knows that I see her, appreciate her, and acknowledge all the effort she puts in every day, wholeheartedly giving of herself to everyone around her. When I look back on my childhood, I see my aunt as a really important part of it. We have shared so much time together,...

Keep Reading

To the Family with a Loved One in Jail

In: Grief, Living
Woman with head in hands

At first, I wanted to hide. I didn’t want to face people anywhere, not at the grocery store, not at work, not even at church. I was ashamed, hurt, and humiliated. It was after that day not so long ago when one of my sisters called me, sobbing so hard I could barely understand the awful message she was telling me. He’s been arrested, she was saying. We need to go tell Mom. Oh, God, no. Please, please, no. How can this even be real? But it was real. RELATED: Tragedy Changes You, But it Doesn’t Have To Ruin You...

Keep Reading

What Daniel Tiger Taught Me About Standing up for What’s Right

In: Living, Motherhood
Two young girls climbing a tree, color photo

On a beautiful, sunny morning, I was with mama friends and all our kiddos. Between the five of us, we had two to four kids each, the oldest at six years old and the youngest had just learned to walk. I had my daughter in my lap as I sat squished in a toddler chair at a small table. She was picking up Goldfish crackers one by one, and I was talking happily with my friends. But then someone brought up a recent Daniel Tiger episode with a tang in her voice that concerned me. I recalled the exact episode she...

Keep Reading