My Act of Kindness highlights the importance of finding a good friend to help you weather the pandemic. I am blessed with that special friend. Darcy and I became friends when we were in preschool. She is my first best friend and as weathered many of life’s high and low points with me. Her family cared for my brother and I when my father was hospitalized with a with a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. I can’t think of a time when we haven’t been there for each other even when we’ve lived thousands of miles apart.
Our mothers lived in the same over “55” apartment building. When they had to be isolated for Easter, I delivered a home cooked meal. They were both nurses by profession and had lost their husbands in the last few years. Their friendship is what brought us together.
As Fall approached and decisions were made regarding reopening schools, she would check in with me after meetings to see how I was doing. These decision weighed heavy on me. We both were lifetime educators and knew the value of in person instruction. We have children who are educators and we shared concern for for their safety as well. In September, my son contracted the virus at the school in which he taught. She was my rock during that time. She listened, prayed and supported me though out. He had two trips to the ER, was living on his own and needless to say I was a wreck. The ultimate kindness is just being there for someone in hard times. This was done with us never seeing each other in person.
As fall progressed my mom had many falls and needed to move into assisted living. Again, she was my rock and provided support when I needed it. In North Dakota by November, North Dakota was a house on fire. We daily checked on each other to see how we were doing. This got us through those dark days. It sustained us through quarantining of our family members, my school board meetings, and sadly deaths of people we knew. I know this isn’t something big yet her friendship was balm for soul . Finally, your podcast provided the guidance and information we needed to stay sane and safe as possible. As we both relieved our first vaccines, I know have hope that sometime soon we will see each other in person.
Gayle