What makes family? I’ve spent the day today at the hospital. My father-in-law had hip replacement surgery and I was there to support Shirley, my mom-in-law and my husband Steve. I have been really busy helping them all over the last six weeks, and I’m planning on continuing to help as I can. But what’s interesting to me is that so many people can’t believe that I’m helping out.
I had a friend ask me today if she didn’t have too high of expectations of people and how they should act. She asked this because she’s going through surgery in a couple of weeks and I’m the only person who offered to sit with her husband while he waits for her to come out. I’m also going to be making her family dinner that night so she doesn’t have to worry about it. She’s wondering why her own small group isn’t really helping them out.
I’m not saying all this to toot my own horn, I just have to admit I can’t imagine doing anything but helping when I’m needed. You help family, you help friends, people from church … you just do it. I wonder if our society has become so selfish that we don’t help others when they need it. Have we become so self-centered that we won’t go out of our way to help people even when we don’t “get” something out of it? Even in churches these days, it seems like so many people are going for what they get out of it, rather than what they can give to it. What is worship, something we get or something we give???
For me these are all kind of “duh - what were you thinking” kinds of questions. I was raised in Iowa and you always helped your neighbor, your friends, and your family … you just did it. But nowadays, I really wonder if that quality is taught, let alone cherished.
Anyway … that’s where I am today … hope tomorrow is better and I’m not feeling so cynical.
