Helping Hands

Well she did it again.

This morning as I undertook the task of changing the sheet's, Tiny Dancer bolted to my side, a bounce in her little step, a plea in her eye's and voice, "I help me you?" 

It would have been much faster to do it myself I thought as I said, "I would love your help!". And I meant it.

Then she proceeded to run circles around not only me, but the bed and the room...so much energy in such a little girl!

I plodded methodically along, after all it may be the only thing I get done today... 

As we worked my mind slipped back to the times, in my Mom's later years, that I would help her make her bed.

She would tell me it was, "to big a job for me to do alone", then express how she felt "useless" to be that help. We would get her settled in the big fan~backed wicker chair in her room, get her adjusted so she could hold the sheet's, handing them to me as needed.

I would split the pillow case job with her, she would start one and I would start the other. Holding hers so she could complete the cumbersome task she had under taken, once mine was done.

She commented how I ran circles around not only her, but the bed and the room..."So much energy little girl. Enjoy it while you can!", she'd chuckle. 

(I was in my late 40's by then, it would have been faster to do it myself, but I loved her help).

She was the one who taught me to make a bed when I was Tiny Dancer's age. It probably would have been faster for her to do it herself...but she always said she 'loved my help'. 

She let me help with lots of things.

I saw Mom quietly take care of lots of people when they needed it. 

So it was only natural that when mom passed away, her dear friend, and 'Oldest living neighbor of 54 years', and I adopted each other.

We often laughed about her being the oldest and me being the youngest of 'the old neighborhood'.

We started making her bed together...it wasn't long before she sat in her Grandmother's old chair in her room and held the sheets to give me as needed...

So my sheet's were changed today, with a little  ball of energy flitting around like a tiny butterfly, among other wonderful memories 

wafting through my mind.

I often wonder, who's helping hands are helping whom.?