I Can't Not

For the first track meet of Lyss’s senior season, I took a box of chips. You know the kind, the variety pack of individually packaged chips.

For the second, sent four bags of apples.

For the third, I cut up celery and bagged it with baby carrots, grape tomatoes in compostable snack-sized baggies.

I know.

But as I lugged in the bags of vegetables to prepare bagging them up, Tom asked, “Why are you doing this?”

I told him, “Because someone has to.”

He just stared at me.

“Hey,” I told him. “I’m not in charge of the food. I just signed up to bring it. The lady in charge has a bigger job than I do.”

“How many other parents are providing food?” he wanted to know.

I shrugged, “Maybe five or six others.”

“Huh,” he said.

I told him, “There are kids who never have a parent or relative at the meets. There are kids who don’t have food to bring to the meets. We do this because it’s the right thing to do. We provide food and we cheer for the kids who are showing up even though their parents aren’t. And we try not to judge those parents because who knows what’s keeping them away? Maybe they works second shift jobs and can’t take time off. I can’t not do this.”

He watched me wash grape tomatoes and baby carrots and then cut up celery stalks. “You’re one of the good ones,” he declared and walked away.

That one sentence made me tear up and filled my often empty self-esteem to almost over-flowing. Being noticed, by one of the most important people in my world, means a lot. Having him take a moment and acknowledge that I do a lot for our kids and the other kids around them…it’s just nice to hear that he thinks I’m doing a good job.