It was in a shoe store, of all places, that my friend got her first insight into real mother-love.
What happened to my friend (call her Marie) was, on the surface, simple enough. She was nearly nine months pregnant with her first child. The imminent birth, the care of her newborn, the whole idea of motherhood—all seemed overwhelming. Besides that, she felt so alone. She didn't feel she could confide in her husband. And she longed for her mother—who had died several years earlier—to guide her through the days ahead.
So there she was in the shoe store—feeling as deeply depressed as she ever had in her life—trying to find some shoes to wear to an event she had to attend for her husband's business. A grandfatherly looking salesperson asked if he could help. But, more than that, he clearly picked up on the distress she was in as she tried to describe the shoes she needed.
