"No Act of Kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted." Aesop

Dishes clattered as I washed and stacked them in the drain rack to dry. It was a Sunday evening before service, and I’d volunteered to help in the church’s kitchen. The monotony of doing dishes was a welcome relief after the last couple of emotionally draining weeks. I really wanted to hide in the solitude of the kitchen all night.

Then I heard from the doorway, “Rebecca, I’d like you to meet my mother.” 

I sighed, dried my hands, and turned to see Susan guiding her elderly mother toward me. Her mother’s blank stare and the uncertainty of each step revealed the progression of her dementia. Compassion for my friend swept over me. Oh Lord, what can I possibly say to encourage them?

Susan lovingly patted her mother’s hand. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Rebecca.”

Although her mother’s eyes stayed blank, they almost twinkled as she turned toward me and with a delicate voice, she said, “I love you.”

Shocked, I leaned back, just as her mother repeated, “I love you.”

Susan heartily chuckled and explained that for years her mother had worked in a local grocery store as a cashier. She’d always greeted everyone in her line, whether a stranger or a friend, with an “I love you.” Many times, all the other checkout lines were empty, but her mom’s line brimmed with people who longed to hear those three special words.

Warmth flooded my heart and erased the stress of the previous weeks. I glanced at the wisps of gray hair and the curl of her back. She was merely a shadow of the woman she once had been, but she still spoke those three transforming words. I gently grasped her hand,“I love you too.”

Thank you, Lord, for showing me that a great way to encourage others, and to be emotionally recharged, is by reaching out and saying, “I love you.”

Written by Rebeca Ondov,  from Walking in Grace – Daily Devotions to Draw You Closer to God, 2020

A colleague shared this story with me yesterday and I found myself travelling back to my childhood days remembering that those words "I love you" were not spoken. Yet, my parents expressed their love in so many other ways. All these years later, saying, "I love you" is easily spoken especially with a parting goodbye and I never tire of sharing these sentiments.

Erie, this story also reminds me of your sister, Martha, and all her years of offering kindness and joy as she greeted healthcare workers as they purchased their meal in the cafeteria. During her career she brightened the days so many caregivers!

I think too of my friend who has Alzheimer's and how she lights up when I stop in to visit her. Her smile brightens my day as she says to me, "I am so happy you are here and when I take leave we often share an "I love you."

Today is my mom's birthday, Elizabeth Dorethea Sorensen as well as my best friend Susan's mother's birthday, Candi Maio. I dedicate this reflection in remembrance of these two beautiful souls who shared their love so generously throughout their lives.

Liz Sorensen Wessel
Photo taken in a church inIreland, 2011 when visiting my grandmother's homeland- marble alter