How One Toddler Was There For His Mom When She Needed It Most

Working as a registered nurse, this mom not only leaves her child to work the night shift, but that precious time away from her little one is also spent serving as a selfless caregiver to others.

She helps complete strangers, and their families, find their footing after major surgeries, serious accidents, and terminal diagnoses. Not only does she hug their loved ones, but she also gives all of herself to her patients — holding their hands and letting them know that she is there for them.

All that and she's still often battling an internal struggle of whether she should be a working mom or a stay-at-home one. "Most days I can rationalize why I do what I do, other days I wish I could be 100 percent home with my baby," she wrote. "Sometimes I feel guilty for sending him to school five days a week so I can have a career."

But through it all, she finds strength from her 2-year-old son, Parker. According to his mom, this little boy is filled with love and constantly shares hugs and kisses with everyone.

"He's an intuitive 'lover' of fellow humans," his proud mom added. "He snuggles with someone if he sees that they are sad. He is inspiring."

After a particularly stressful day, this hardworking mother was feeling drained when she went to pick Parker up from day care. After strapping him into his car seat, Parker must have sensed what a hard time she was having and offered his own version of a pick-me-up.

"I looked back and said 'Ready, Bud?'" his mom described. "He stuck out his hand and said 'Mom, hand? Hold?' So I reached back to him and he grabbed my hand, squeezed it, and held it tight." Parker clutched his mom's hand the entire way home — during all 22 minutes of the drive, he never let go.

Despite his young age, Parker was there for his mom — in his own way — exactly when she needed him most.