Day 11
You’re probably thinking, “What happened?” The last time I wrote I was off to deliver cookies to Ms. Anonymous.
Did the neighbor go ballistic? Does she adhere to some religion that bans sweets of any kind and take the gesture as a personal affront? Did this one random act of kindness send me over the edge and drive me to abandon my social experiment and blog altogether?
No. No. No. While all of those scenarios sound wildly exciting (and fun to write about), the truth is I’ve been sick and my husband took away my computer.
For those who don’t know me, I don’t do anything halfway. (Example: Let’s do a random act of kindness today. NO, let’s do one everyday for a YEAR!) When I say sick, I mean admitted to Bethesda North Hospital for seven days with meningitis.
A week lying in bed gives a person a lot of time to think. Here’s some of the things I learned.
1. I may be overstating but I believe nurses, especially those administering heavy-duty pain medication, are the most kind and generous people on this planet.
2. You can never tell your parents “thank you” often enough.
As soon as my husband called my parents to tell them the news, they jumped in a car and drove five hours to get to me. My stoic dad entered my room and tapped my foot to let me know he was there. My mom sat by my bed and held my hand for the first 24 hours.
I don’t claim that kindness by a parent to his or her child is random. Clearly parents love their children unconditionally. I just think it’s important to acknowledge what parents do. As a parent of three, I’m happy if I get a high-five. A thank you? Knock me over with a feather!
So, Mom and Dad, thank you.
3. The right spouse makes the good times great and the bad times bearable.
This week, my husband bathed the kids, supervised homework, fed them meals, packed their lunches and constantly assured them that I would be home and healthy soon. As an added bonus, he also got to complete many PTO duties. What a trooper!
4. I’m a lucky girl to have the friends I have.
My friends circled the wagons. Food started arriving. Flowers. Gifts. Cards. Friends invited my boys to their homes to play. It never stopped. Every time we turned around someone else was offering to help.
The outpouring of kindness shown to us this week has truly been overwhelming. A simple thank you doesn’t seem sufficient to express how grateful we are. It’s a place to start.
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