The best gift is for someone to come over and do what needs to be done without Elaine having to ask.
Transcript
Oh a friend that will come over and say, “[My husband] always wants to clean out his eaves troughs. Have you had them done lately?” And I’ll say, “No,” and boom they’re doing it. I’m a very proud person and when I’ve got somebody phoning and saying, “Tell me what I can do for you,” I very often say, “Well, there’s nothing. I’m fine.” It’s those simple things that kind of get overwhelming. You can go for a long time, and I can keep up with the yard as best I can. And I mean, things slip; they’re definitely the standards slip, but that’s okay. That’s…
But my daughter will come over and she’ll just start doing the dishes if they’re in the sink. She’ll go into the bathroom and see if it needs freshening up—boom it’s done. I don’t have to ask for those things. And for a person who needs help, for them not to have to ask, it is the best gift of all. So anybody that can just show up—even bring something that you’ve cooked, or phone and “I’m at the grocery store. Do you need milk? I’ll bring it right over.” Yeah, that’s an easy thing for me to say. “Yes, we don’t have any milk,” or juice, or bread, or whatever. That’s very helpful. I’m always telling my caregivers, “Don’t be afraid to ask.” And then lots of times I’m just as bad; I don’t ask. But I’m asking my kids now more than I ever did.
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