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Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Couple More

Yey!  I finally have a free moment to update Elliot's blog!

Some of our friends went to Fort Bragg in North Carolina to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July.  It was very crowded, and after the show ended, there was a rush of people headed to the exits.  Along the way, there was a row of tall trees with large protruding roots that had to be crossed to get to the exit.  Our friend noticed that there was an older woman trying to negotiate the roots with her cane in the dark.  She was holding an arm out looking for assistance, but people just kept passing her by.  Our friend stopped and offered her a hand to help her make it through the roots and to the pavement, leaving the old woman genuinely thankful.  He commented at the end of his message to me how good it felt to help someone else.

One of our family members was leaving her gym after her morning work out, as she was leaving she noticed a woman in a wheel chair trying to leave, but the handicap accessible doors were not working.  So she helped the woman get through the doors and realized that the woman didn't have anyone waiting for her to help her, so she asked if she could help get her to her car.  The woman quickly said "Yes please."  Our family member said she seemed tired from her workout, so she pushed her to her car, helped her stand by the driver's side door, and moved the walker in her back seat so that the wheelchair would fit.  After lifting the heavy wheel chair into the car she asked the woman if she does this everyday, wondering how this woman could lift the chair on her own.  The woman responded saying that her husband normally picks her up, but today he was having foot surgery - she was waiting for a special someone to help her.  Our family member ended the email saying, "I know that Elliot made sure my timing was on so I was there for her ( yes I admit I hit snooze twice).  She had the largest smile when I left and I knew that Elliot sent me to help her!"

A good friend was standing in line to rent a redbox and noticed a woman and her toddler standing behind her, so she let them go ahead of her, thinking of Elliot.

Another family member ran into a friend at church who's wife has been diagnosed with cancer.  He asked the man if there is anything he could do to help, like make some food.  The man said that his wife hasn't had much of an appetite, to which our family member responded, "But you have to eat."  The man's eyes lit up, and so our family member brought over dinner.  He ended his message to me saying, "Elliot is amazing and VERY inspirational."  I continue to realize this more and more.

Though this isn't an act of kindness, since it is Elliot inspired, I thought I would share.  The evenings with Quinn have been rough.  She seems to hate the hours of about 5 pm to 10pm - give or take a couple hours each night.  So last night I took her for a walk in our neighborhood during Gavin's bedtime.  She pretty much screamed the entire 40 minutes that we were walking.  I was starting to get frustrated since I had hoped that the walk would put her to sleep.  It suddenly occurred to me that I never really got to hear Elliot cry.  Most of the week he was alive he was on a ventilator and his screams were silent.  I remember saying to Nathan, "I have never wanted to hear a baby cry so much."  Remembering this, I smiled and the panic that a mom feels when her baby cries melted away.  We are blessed for each moment that we had with Elliot and as few as they were, they make us appreciate Gavin and Quinn all the more.

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