I want to tell you about my mom, so you will know just a little about who you are doing this kindness for.

First of all, how embarrassed she will be to find out how many people are bothering about her. She is the caregiver usually. She has always been. With my dad, she visits friends in nursing homes and people who are housebound. She took care of our elderly neighbor as a daughter right up until Lucy's death. She does this without any sense of ego, as far as I can tell. She would rather not be noticed.

My mom works as a volunteer with Hospice, sitting with people who have begun the work of dying. Right before her father died, she finished all the coursework to be a doula (a midwife's assistant). She takes care of people on both ends of life, and in the middle, too. She is in nursing school now.

She makes things with her hands (she taught me to sew) for all the babies she knows: quilts, hats, jackets, toys. She makes baby clothes and diaper bags and quilts for babies she doesn't know, who are born in local hospitals prematurely or to women who need extra baby things.

My mom loves bunnies and babies and dogs (cheerful, large ones). She likes Riesling (wine from Alsace) and sitting on the back porch with my dad, and going out with her friends or sisters. She is loyal and loving and believes in her kids and in people in general. She's one of my favorite people, which seems like an obvious thing to say, but I think I'm lucky to be able to say it.

Thank you for everything.