When my mom was in her twenties, she was a struggling young singer trying to catch a break.
She went on hundreds of auditions, got hundreds of rejections, and finally she got the opportunity of a lifetime—
—A role in an opera.
It wasn’t tons of money but it was enough to eke by. Plus, she’d get paid to do what she loves. A huge win.
She rented a small apartment, found a roommate to lower the costs, and started preparing for the grueling rehearsal period. There was just one glaring problem.
She had a baby.
My older brother, Ben, was still in diapers. She was a single mom. She had no family living nearby, no partner at the time, and definitely couldn’t afford to hire a nanny.
She needed to work and earn money in order to take care of Ben. But, she wouldn’t be able to work unless she found someone to watch Ben. And she didn’t have enough money to hire someone to help. It felt like a Catch-22. She spiraled, stress building, trying to find a solution.
Time clicked by. Things became urgent and dire. Rehearsals started in two days and she still didn’t have childcare lined up. Stress turned into abject panic as she realized, “I need to get this sorted out and I don’t know what to do.”
She bustled into a grocery store with tears in her eyes, grabbing nappies and bread and trying to breathe deeply and settle her nerves.
As she exited the store, she noticed a tiny folding table set up in the parking lot with a sign: Hire Canadian Youth.
She considered rushing past to get back to her car—she was very busy, after all—but her gut told her, “Wait. Go see what that table is all about.”
She followed her instincts and went over, asking, “Hi, so…what’s this?”
A sweet teenage girl explained that the Canadian government had just rolled out a new program. If you hired a young Canadian person to do any kind of job—housecleaning, cooking, tutoring, whatever—you pay half their salary, and then the Canadian government pays the other half.
My mom stood there, stunned, and ran the mental calculations in her head. With this program, she could probably afford childcare. It would be tight. But it would work.
My mom asked the teenage girl, “Do you like babysitting?”
“Oh yes! I have lots of brothers and sisters. I love babies!”
My mom asked, “Would you like a job and can you start tomorrow?”
The girl enthusiastically agreed.
Mom went home and sobbed with relief.
Little Ben ended up having the best summer of his life. Turns out, the teenage girl lived on a nearby farm, so she took Ben to the farm every day where he played with other kids in the mud, sunshine on his little chubby face, and ate homemade berry pies.
My mom had an incredible summer, too. The opera went fabulously and helped to launch her career. She performed on stages around the world for the next 20 years, before transitioning into directing and producing.
Everything clicked into place—
—All because of a girl at a folding table in a concrete parking lot.
Moral of the story:
Support is everywhere.
Angels are everywhere.
Even in the parking lot.
Even when you feel completely trapped and stuck, there is a solution. There is always a solution.
It could be a government funded program, grant, scholarship, new business idea, new job, new mentor, or simply a new attitude that shifts your whole year.
Instead of looking at your phone and scurrying through the day with your gaze down, look up. Look around.
Help might be right in front of you.
Help—or inspiration, motivation, hope, encouragement, a new perspective, whatever medicine you need.
Keep your eyes open. Keep your heart open. In all ways, stay open.
The miracle you’re seeking could be closer than you think.
-Alex
PS. Leave your phone at home and take a walk outside. Look up. Look around. See what you notice.
PPPS. Reach out to your mom (or someone who feels like "mom" to you) just to say hi. Because she would love to hear your voice.
PPPPS. Save the date. Friday June 18. Something very special is happening that day. All details will be announced soon. One hint: professional magician.