A Mommy (rl) Who Gets It!

[turtlepins]

I'm a writer, but I also have a part-time job helping people put their lives back together again, especially people with infants. I love this part of my job, though many young parents who are recovering from drug and alcohol abuse are so needy. I've met couples who were raised by parents who were alcoholics and drug addicts and are clueless. They don't even know what questions to ask. So I get to mentor them, walk them through the steps to becoming responsible adults able to stand on their own. As a result I meet a lot of other people, much like me, who are out there helping.

Today I met a fellow mentor who works with young mothers. Our paths have crossed before, professionally, but we've rarely had a chance to just sit and talk about what we do. We had a two hour meeting this afternoon and she really surprised me.

I'm incontinent, and can't wear disposables because of skin allergy problems, so I wear gauze prefold diapers. I've rarely had anyone notice or ask about it, even though the bulge is sometimes obvious, especially when I'm sitting. I'm pretty careful to wear pants two sizes too large to accommodate the extra bulk, and shirts I can wear outside my pants. Today I was wearing a T-shirt my wife gave me that has the words "Terrible 2s Tude with the Size to Back it Up!" around a funny picture.

After we'd discussed our plans to provide proper service to the couple we are both mentoring she smiled, and I could tell she was working up the courage to say something. When she did, I was surprised. She asked me how long I'd worn diapers, very direct, not at all offensively. I told her and she told me my T-shirt was perfect and cute. (Sighs, savoring the memory.) She had her kids with her in the outer waiting room, and I was surprised to learn that her five-year-old was still in diapers.

She asked me if she could tell her little girl I wore diapers for the same reason and I agreed. As we were walking out of my office her kids gathered around and she introduced me, and then told her daughter that I wore diapers just like her, and she wasn't alone in the world and didn't need to be embarrassed about it.

I had to explain what incontinent means, but the little girl seemed quite happy to meet a "big" person who was like her. She will never be able to stop wearing diapers because of her condition. We sat together and talked for a while and the little girl told me she likes to be babied. I told her we all like to be babied, even mommies. Mommy gave me this look and then laughed. "All men are babies!" She said. It was a pleasant change.

[ppbenn]

Cool beans Turtlepins.

[packrat]

Thanks for the uplifting post. Not too often we can have an unintended positive impact on a troubled child. Keep on keeping on.

P-rat.

[Lil_Miss_Ruffles]

A pleasant post and kind thing for you to do.

Thanks for sharing.

***HUGS***

Ruffles

[naughty_baby]

Aww bless. Thats really kind.

[Yvhuce]

Congrats. That is, indeed quite the potential seed for greater stability. Kids can be more cruel toward eachother than most anyone else can be... It's great that you're able to help her come to terms with this.

[BabyLex]

Turtle :-)

Well done amigo! Nice job! Keep up the good work! :-)

Definitely a great step forward for everyone involved.

--Lex

[curiositykilledthecat]

Cool, good job

[diaperpt]

It was so nice to read a truly happy, uplifting, positive post! I'm so happy for you, too, Turtlepins, that this was a good experience for you! You deserve good things happening to you!

[Crinklebritches]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing that.

[Leilin]

That's... really, really cool. Not only do you do awesome work, Turtlepins, but you had an awesome experience. Kudos.