This Viral Story of Strangers Helping a Sobbing Mom in the Airport Proves the ‘Village’ Exists

Raises conch shell: "Mom Team, assemble!"

By Erica Loop February 23, 2018

As Beth Bornstein Dunnington walked through LAX, she noticed something that wasn’t totally unfamiliar. A young, seemingly pregnant, mom was trying to wrangle her toddler, who was having a very public meltdown.

You’ve been there: Your tot couldn’t care less about the flight that’s about to depart, and you’re stuck handling the flailing arms, banshee-esque screams and flying fists. And what do you do when something like this happens to you? Well, the mama in question ended up sitting on the floor crying, head in hands.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Dunnington chronicles what happened next on her Facebook page. Instead of just walking by, women started to congregate. And no, not to judge or mom shame the crying mother. Nope. These women were all about support.

She writes, “Then, this gorgeous thing (I’m crying just writing this)…the women in the terminal, there must have been six or seven of us, not women who knew each other, approached and surrounded her and the little boy and we knelt down and formed a circle around them.”

Providing as much support as possible, the women—again, strangers to this clearly overwhelmed mother—sang to the child, offered small toys, helped the mom find a sippy cup in her bag and even offered a bottle of water and a peeled orange.

Amazing. If it “takes a village,” I want to live there with these women.