“Crystal’s Soapbox,” published each Thursday, is a column by conservative Texas mom Crystal Arcand who loves to rant about issues that relate to her kids….and yours.
Something amazing is happening in my tiny town of five thousand: Extreme Makeover Home Edition is building a house for a family here. The town has been all aflutter for a month, first hearing the rumor that several families in east Texas were being considered, then that a local family was being considered. Last Friday I think all of Mineola, Texas squealed in delight as the Carr family got the famous knock on their door.
I have the supreme privilege and honor of knowing Katrina Carr. She is one of the sweetest women you will ever meet – and one of the strongest. Her story is amazing, but I’ll save that for the show (watch it in late April or early May). This morning as my local MOPS group where Katrina volunteers watching the children discussed ideas for blessing her family after the hoopla, I came to a realization: we should be doing these things all the time, not just when life is crazy.
I recently was on the receiving end of this kind of friendship when my husband Michael spent ten days in the hospital. I felt spoiled, loved, and cared-for as the ladies in my MOPS group brought over full, hot dinners night after night so I could focus on taking care of my kids and getting my hubby home. It was a blessing I’ll never forget and always be thankful for receiving.
But what about the mom whose husband isn’t in the hospital? The family that isn’t going to Hawaii for a week and returning to an extreme house? What if she’s just tired and worn out from life?
“Yeah, Crystal. We all are – get over it.”
Wouldn’t you love to have someone show up with a hot dinner, ready to eat one night? How about someone taking care of shuttling children for the day so you can rest or clean or sleep (what I’d do)? Yeah, we’re all tired. We’re all worn out. We all need a break.
So this week, give one to a mom you know and care about that isn’t in the throes of an extreme situation. Watch her kids for a couple of hours, bring her dinner, or show up and do the dishes.
Just because.
