Whoops!

When my #1 daughter was home from college one summer she accepted a position as a semi-caregiver for a sick old man who was trying to stay out of a nursing home. He was poor but proud. She found his small place cluttered and dirty. One weekend while he was visiting a relative she gathered up all of his clothes, bedding, towels, etc., stuffed them into two giant garbage bags and brought them home to wash.

Whoops! Unfortunately it was the same night that #2 son fulfilled his obligation to empty the trash. The man's stuff was long gone before we figured it out.

Of course telling the old man was the worst part. We let #1 daughter take care of it. It was a bone crunching hard thing to do.

But here's the happy ending. She and the old man bonded. They spent the rest of the summer going to garage and rummage sales. He ended the summer in better shape all the way around - and so did she.

And she went on to excel in a career that embraces all of the elements of this story.