Mom kissed her 1-year-old’s injured hand while waiting for an X-ray at urgent care — then an older mother shared a truth that made her cry
Children may grow older and build lives of their own, but the connection between a parent and child can remain deeply rooted. Instagram user Brielle, who goes by @typebrimom, recalled an encounter on Instagram on September 10, 2026, when she was trying to keep her little boy calm after he slammed his hand in a screen door, leaving him in need of an X-ray at urgent care. A stranger, who was in the same room with another patient, said something about motherhood that stayed with her. It was pretty clear that those words came from an experienced mother, leaving her emotional.
As Brielle kissed her son's injured hand and tried to comfort him, a woman who was there with another patient caught her attention. A man sitting a few seats away was in so much pain that he couldn't get up, and the woman beside him explained that she thought he might be "passing a kidney stone." As someone came over to help him, the woman looked at Brielle and said, "The pain that you feel whenever they're in pain, it doesn't go away even when they're 22." Brielle said the woman's words immediately got to her, because in that moment, she realized a mother's worry for her child never really goes away.
The fellow mother's words stayed with Brielle because she was already emotional after seeing her little boy hurt. Hearing that another mother felt the same kind of pain, even when her child was grown, made the moment feel even more personal. Viewers in the comments could also relate to what Brielle had felt. @raquelcristinacole wrote, "Seriously, the hardest pill to swallow. Being a mom is an incredible journey but so hard, especially watching them grow up," while @livingthedoublezlife said, "The connection between a mom and child is truly God-given." @lizbell4 agreed with the message and added, "And she is so right! Think about your own Mama too."
What Brielle experienced after seeing her child in pain is not uncommon. A study of parents of children under three found that seeing a child hurt can quickly trigger a strong urge to protect them, along with difficult emotions such as sadness, helplessness, and frustration. The researchers also found that parents have to manage those emotions while trying to understand what their child is feeling, which helps explain why seeing her 1-year-old in pain hit Brielle so hard.
A few words of encouragement from a mother who has already walked that path can remind a new mom that she is doing better than she thinks. In another story, a new mom named Jessica was waiting at a crosswalk with her young son when an older woman asked how she was finding motherhood. After they talked about how difficult parenting could be, the woman told Jessica, "Don’t let anyone put you down," before adding, "You’re a wonder woman." The brief exchange left Jessica emotional and reminded her how much encouragement can mean to a mother who is still finding her way.
For more of her content, you can follow @typebrimom on Instagram.