Love is as love does

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

Several years ago, I was knee-deep in the stress of caring for my elderly mother when I had to undergo a difficult, seven-hour cancer surgery on my face. The day after my surgery, my mother fell, broke her ankle, and was sent to the ER. As my mother’s only child, I had to rush to the hospital to manage her care — despite the fact that I was supposed to be resting at home with my surgical wound. It was one of those rare moments in my life when I actually felt sorry for myself and wondered if I could keep it together.

At the time, there was an acquaintance in my social circle whose response to my calamity was, “I’ll pray for you.” Not that I doubted the piety behind the expression she often repeated. But what really eased my burden were the supportive gestures of help from other folks that I needed then — a casserole for dinner; a small bouquet of flowers left with a note on my doorstep.

As today’s quote reminds us, our actions speak louder than our words. It’s pretty easy to tell someone that we’re keeping them in our thoughts and prayers, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But in the long run, we’re remembered for our genuine efforts — not how many good words we send out into the universe. Love is as love does. ~CL