A mother of four has related a story that epitomizes the very meaning of “random act of kindness.”
Jess Jones, based just outside of London, shared the events in a video on TikTok, detailing a stranger’s gesture on a challenging shopping trip.
In the raw and emotional clip, which has been viewed over 300,000 times already, Jones explains that she took all 4 of her children—one of whom has “significant additional needs”—to the furniture store IKEA.
Although she’d hoped for a smooth outing, Jones found herself struggling as one child became increasingly distressed.
She was also dealing with a toddler’s tantrum over some candy at the cashier desk, amid the chaos of trying to manage the children, shopping and carts.
It was then a woman approached Jones and stepped in to offer some much-needed support.
Jones recalled the woman put her arm around her and asked: “What do you need? What can I do for you right now?”
Moved by the gesture, Jones burst into tears. As she said in her TikTok video: “I needed it more than she probably realized.”
Jones spoke to Newsweek about the impact of the woman’s actions and said the gesture made her feel less alone.
“Parenting is hard, and when someone supports you rather than judges you, it’s healing. It soothes that bit of you that says you are not doing a good job, and so many of us feel that so much of the time,” she told Newsweek.
Jones, who goes by @thejess.jones on Instagram, also brought to light the challenges of parenting, especially when additional support needs are involved.
The mom of four said that while she knew things would change after she became a parent, the “simple practical” aspects of mundane life didn’t occur to her.
She told Newsweek: “I had in my mind I was going to be the mother who had it all together, dressed well, kids sorted, lovely coffee shop dates with friends—but my reality was very different.
“Grabbing your keys, your purse and running out the door to go to the shops was no longer the norm.
“There are 10,000 things to remember and consider and that can increase or get more complicated with more children, or if you have children with additional support needs.”
Jones’ video received thousands of comments from other TikTok users, praising the woman’s kindness and recognizing “the sisterhood.”
One person commented: “I reckon she was being the person that she needed back when she was in your shoes.”
Jones was even able to track down the kind stranger after she commented on her video. She reached out to thank her and discovered that the woman, a reflexologist and fellow mom, had been in similar situations herself.
She even offered Jones a reflexology session and they hope to meet for coffee soon.
“I’m really glad I’ve made a new friend,” Jones told Newsweek.
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