Unintentional Good Deeds

Eric of Straight White Guy is back from his trip to Scotland and something he wrote tugged a string in my heart. Let me first say I love the way Eric writes and how he is able to convey via words the world he sees around him, his experiences as well as his perceptions. He is funny as hell. The post I reference at the end of this post... the section I am referring to, is located 2/3 of the way down his post, but the entire post is well worth the read... as they always are.

My Mother in Law died unexpectedly 5 years ago. I’ll post on it more as the anniversary of her death comes, but for now, let me just say it threw us all and coping for the first couple years was difficult at best. Last year I was at Son#3’s pre-school when a Mom I didn’t know came up to me and said something like, “Someone just told me your last name is ‘last name here’ and I was wondering if you were any relation to ‘M-I-L’s name here’.”

My last name is very uncommon. If you hear it once, it sticks. So I told her that yes I was, that she was in fact my Mother in Law.

The Mom then said to me, “I loved your Mother in Law. When my daughter was born (this would be the child that is Son#3’s age and is now even in his kindergarten class) she was born with a severe liver problem and had to undergo a liver transplant. (The mother donated part of her own liver to save her daughter’s life.) Your Mother in Law brought us meals and she was so wonderful to us. When I told her once in church how much I enjoyed one of her dishes, she showed up the next day with a fresh batch of it for us. I was so sad when she died and I just wanted to tell you how much I still think of her and how sorry I am for your loss.”

I almost started to cry. It had been just short of 4 years and yet someone remembered her. Someone other than family. And they took the time to tell me. And to relate their story. And it made me feel warm inside that she did touch this world and even if it was one other person outside of the family, someone remembered. I see this Mom at our new school now and a layer of warmth envelopes me every time. Her daughter is one of the girls that loves to tuck her hand inside mine and walk with me when I assist in PE on Friday mornings. I look at the girl as a miracle child and I look at the Mom as a messenger of great love.

So when I saw Eric’s post HERE and how he is in awe that here he was sitting at a bar in the frickin’ Newark airport and actually met Ira Hayes’ nephew, I think perhaps on the other side, the nephew was warmed by the fact that here HE was, schlepping through the Newark airport and some YOUNG guy he met actually REMEMBERED his uncle, and Eric more than remembered, he knew about his uncle. And I have to believe, that when Mr. Hayes' nephew boarded his plane, there was a warmth in his heart that a young stranger remembered. His uncle was not forgotten.