Dinner From Friends

One very common memory I have from when my mom was sick (for those playing the home game, she's a 10-year survivor of Inflammatory Breast Cancer) is the overwhelming support from the community. We often had folks bringing us complete meals, which was a huge help while mom was going through her treatments. My parents didn't want us eating pizza and takeout every night, but often we were in a hurry so we could visit my mom or exhausted from the long days, so the knowledge that we could still have a home-cooked meal brought us an indescribable level of comfort.

What amazed me most was not the act of kindness itself, but the people behind the acts of kindness. Jonaleen, who passed away a few years ago after losing her own battle with cancer, was undoubtedly the most frequent contributor to our diets, and Holy Feast Batman! That woman could cook Julia Childs under the table. Not only were we blessed with friends and family who helped out, but we also received tasty treats from complete strangers. My sister and I were active in Girl Scouts at the time and our troop often gathered a few generous moms with large ovens to make us things that we could eat right away or freeze for an easy meal.

At 14, I'm not sure I fully understood what drove these people to do what seemed to be the most generous act a teenager could think of. In time I learned that to these folks, it was such a small gesture. Baking a pie took an hour out of someones afternoon, but to my family meant another hour that we could spend with my mom. Spending the morning whipping up a pan of lasagna meant my mom and dad could focus on her health instead of worrying about what they had time to put into our mouths. Creating a meal that we didn't necessarily need one week made it possible for my dad to spend the evening with my mom on their anniversary and not have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen to feed us kids beforehand.

So next time you feel overwhelmed by someone's situation or don't think you could possibly do anything big enough to make an impact, know that often what seems like a small gesture on your part will make a huge difference to someone in need.


**What are some small gestures that you have made or that you suggest others make in order to help someone in need?**