Mum Reaches Out To School Run Stranger Who Inspired Her To Change Her Life

Mum Inspired To Change Her Life By School Run Stranger

A mum who was inspired to change her life by a stranger she saw every day on the school run wrote a touching post on a community Facebook page in the hope of reaching her.

Rachaele Hambleton was overwhelmed when the stranger described as having "crazy blonde hair" got in touch, praising her for the beautiful post.

Hambleton shared the original post on Spotted Torquay Facebook page, explaining how the woman she had driven past on the school run for 10 years had inspired her to work less and spend more time with her children.

I used to be a full time working mum. Every morning for the past 10 years I've driven from Torquay over the Shaldon...

Posted by Spotted Torquay on Thursday, 28 January 2016

"I used to be a full-time working mum," the post began. "Most days I've driven past a beautiful lady with crazy blonde curly hair.

"She started out 10 years ago walking her eldest baby to the primary school with her younger ones carried on her chest and in double buggies whilst walking beautiful puppy retriever.

"Every morning I would watch her and be in awe at how organised she was, how she could possibly manage and how happy her babies looked.

"I would then continue the rest of my journey to work with a lump in my throat that someone else was doing all of those things with my babies because I felt I should be at work.

"This lady made me realise that actually I should work a little less, and learn to manage a little more."

Hambleton said watching the woman had inspired her to reduce her working hours to spend more mornings at home doing the "crazy school runs" with her children.

"I make sure I go and fight back tears watching all their school plays and bake (mainly inedible) cakes for the fetes," she added. "And I love all of it.

"It's amazing that seeing a 30 second glimpse of someone else's life once a day can make yours so much more enjoyable.

"I just wanted to post on here, in the hope somehow it will reach you, to say thank you."

Rachaele Hambleton and her daughter

The post, which was uploaded on 28 January, was shared more than 582 times in five days, with more than 300 comments.

It sparked many local residents to collaborate and work out if they knew the lady Hambleton was talking about.

Hambleton wrote to one person: "Do you know her? Please pass it onto her if you can. Tell her I'm the one on the bridge probably driving a bit too fast late whilst applying my makeup in a silver Honda Civic!"

Proving the power of social media, it wasn't long before the stranger got in touch with Hambleton.

"She's replied to me - her response is amazing," Hambleton wrote.

Hambleton later reposted the message she received from the curly-hair stranger - who is known only as Naomi.

"Hello, I'm the lady with the crazy blonde hair!" the message began. "My goodness... what a truly beautiful post, I feel very honoured to have made a difference to your life without even knowing it.

"I'm absolutely amazed that you have noticed me for such a long time and noticed the changes in my family, I've been walking Shaldon bridge since 2003 along with Boris the dog who's now 11 and finding it a struggle, I have had five children go to the school (my younger three are still there) and you're right my elder two walk themselves.

"I feel incredibly honoured (along with embarrassed) to be mentioned in such a post for simply walking my children to school along with what has felt like over the years being a parent machine.

"That short walk across Shaldon bridge is my little bit of therapy and how blessed we all are to live in such a beautiful part of the world. I am taking the credit for so many other parents who do exactly the same as me so for all the other parents, that post was for you too.

"I know that everyone's life is different and sometimes life doesn't enable us all to spend the time with our children that we wish but I believe being there for those simple day to day moments creates long lasting memories for all.

"I wouldn't change it all, even if I could, so hold on to all those beautiful memories you're making with your children because they won't want you going to school with them forever... it's all over too soon.

"So touched to have made a positive difference to a stranger's life."

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