{so shines a good deed in a weary world}

Even before she started beauty school, my sister could dye her hair a color that matched her hoodies and accessories perfectly. (You didn’t know you needed that skill, right? But, you do.)

She has frequently had the ability to make me snort-laugh, because she is ridiculous has a penchant for telling dramatic stories about herself. She started doing that as soon as she could talk – imagine two-year-old babbling, complete with gasps. Once, she dressed up as Jesus (?) and wrapped herself in bath towels and blankets, dragging them around the house. Despite her, um, extended bratty phase, she’s generally been the cause of a lot of smiles and laughter in our family.

This has not been a very smiley last few days for anyone. The world has… proven yet again that when someone fans the flames of hate, the inferno grows and would incinerate the whole world. But, as always, a single act of love can push back against the dark. My sister’s friends at beauty school have decided that she needs a standing wheelchair to be a successful stylist — and so they’ve started the incremental — grueling — long process of raising the money on GoFundMe. Ten. Thousand. Dollars.

Is it going to be easy? No. Is it going to take a long while? Yes. But, knowing she’s got friends like that? Makes the struggle worth it. When she told me about it, she said, “My friends – I just started crying when they told me – they’re amazing. We’re going to do it. It’ll take as long as it takes, but we’re going to do it.”

My beautifully stubborn sister has had that attitude for a while. She has had to change her schedule, since starting beauty school. She can’t work as long as she thought she’d be able to – the work is exhausting (PEOPLE ARE TIRING) and sometimes, clients are unpleasant about her chair – people fear contagion from disease and disability, because they’re… small-minded and craven, basically. Everything in my sister’s life has come with compromises and work-arounds, but you know what? She never quits. We’re going to get this danged chair – even though insurance won’t pay for it. Things are falling apart, the center is not holding, and I cannot fix anything else in the world, but this small thing? Here, I can help.

Have you found your small thing to hang your heart on yet this week?