Because I can

A few times, I have made the mistake of mentioning running my kids lunches to work or school.  Other mothers will invariably say something like, “Your kids are old enough to make their own! Don’t do for them what they can do for themselves!" The most recent time was this week when I ran a forgotten lunch from my house on the West side to the Fritz Sick Pool where my son was working. An elderly lady at the counter made a comment and my son, who is 19 said:“She has to do this pretty often.”“Has to?” The grandma answered.“No, I mean, is willing to.” He corrected.“That’s more like it!.” She smiled.It’s true, have 5 able-bodied children ages 12-19. They can all make a sandwich. I know that and so do they. But they also live in a very different world than I did at their age. They have pressures and dynamics among friends that didn’t occur to us 30 years ago. And while some things never change, others do. I watch them juggle middle school, high school and university, band, dance, volunteerism, jobs with long hours and the inherent stresses that come with bosses, irritable adults and closing facilities alone. They don’t always have the foresight to think about mealtime.And so I make them lunches. Because I can.Female radars are the most wonderful things. At least I think they are. The day you feel like you just can’t run one more errand may be the day someone needs it most; that stable calm reliance that someone is there who cares about you and knows that life is that much easier with a kind word orsomething in your stomach. How many times have you been helped in your hour of need by someone who said, “You came into my mind today and I thought I’d call.”Nobody needs to qualify random acts of kindness. They occur to us and we do them because we can. Don't let anybody dissuade you from small things that you know made a big difference.