I recently spent some time with my parents and my oldest 'little' brother and his wife. I am the oldest of 5 kids, and Steve is just 3 years younger than I am but a whole head taller. It is rare that it is just us at home with Mom and Dad. Steve and Eileen had planned to be there in the middle of February. I had flown home when Dad had a heart attack that week also.
I spent most of my time researching info, listening in to visits with the home health nurses and physical therapists, initiating the sometimes hard conversations that go along with these kinds of events in the life of your parents.
But Steve and Eileen came with a plan to 'work'. I am so glad my parents have children who think to do that kind of stuff because it's not me.
But this visit, Steve had just had surgery on his right wrist- yes, he is right handed, so the projects really needed an extra pair of hands.
Enter my sister-in-love, Eileen! Well, not exactly like that- but I loved this one from her 'teacher' days.
From the very beginning she 'jokingly' or not - teased that she was the brawn in the bunch. Steve and I would have to compete for who was the beauty and the brains. We never really settled that one.
Over and over, Eileen made herself busy with projects or dishes or meals. She was even Steve's hands when they decided to do some 'redecorating' in Mom and Dad's bathroom and put in a new toilet. Now you know that was a special daughter-in-love who would help to take out- and put in - and hand tools for the new toilet.
Why do I tell you about all this?
Well, because her behaviors were truly remarkable (worthy of being noticed as extraordinary). She could have come to her in-law's home and made it her vacation. After all, she left a full time job at a bank and she would be going back to that too. Yet she made it possible for Steve to do some things he wanted to do for our parents. Her gracious actions freed all of us up to deal with other things that were also important. But it wasn't the glamorous things that she was doing.
This kind of remarkable gets down right messy!
So what are the 'messy' things that are you facing?
Have you ever considered that the 'messy' things can be part of being remarkable too?
Or maybe you have someone in your life that is the brawn so you don't have to be. How can you say thank you?
I'm here to say "Eileen, you are my hero! Thank you dear sister for being you! Steve, you did good with her. I am so grateful for both of you!!!"
