It happened again last week. I had to mobilize my “meals on wheels” kitchen. Each time a relative, friend or neighbor is in need of a little tender loving care, I break out my favorite comfort food recipes and start cookin’. The result is a series of meals that are packed into containers and loaded into my car for transport to the one who is in need of nourishment for body and soul.
This time is was a Colorado friend and neighbor who fell and broke his ankle in three places while spraying trees to prevent pine beetle infestation – Ouch! After surgery and a brief overnight hospital stay, he’s home recovering for the next few months under the care of his sweet wife. The meals are for both of them during this ordeal.
My philosophy on all this is that we may not be able to change the world, but we can make a pretty good dent by using the gifts we’re given. In my case, it’s meals lovingly prepared to improve a friend’s situation and brighten their day. For someone else, it may be picking up the mail, watering plants, walking a dog, reading to a friend, mowing the grass, or running a few errands. We’re all blessed with abilities that can be invaluable to others when their lives are disrupted, and what a joy it is to watch another’s face light up when we show up with one of those inner “gifts”.