#217 - MH

#217 is the husband of one of Jeff's cousins.  He is a good ole boy.  I have never seen him be anything but nice, kind, and helpful.  He spent some extended time at our house during one of the hurricane evacuations with a lot of Jeff's other family members, and he was so pleasant and helpful that we were genuinely sad to see them head back home.  He played cards, visited, cooked, and generally just had a good old time.  He is not able to do a lot physically because of a back injury, but he does his fair share and pulls his own weight.

He is Jeff's godchild's step-father, and from what I have seen, has been a good one.  He is as proud of her as he is his own son, and you can hear the love in his voice when he talks about his grand kids.  I know that not being able to work has had to have been hard on him and I know that his back causes him pain, but he is the type of person who doesn't dwell on what he cannot do, but he does what he can and does not complain.  If only more people were like this, this world would be a better place.

Speaking of complaining...this is completely off of the subject, but a patient shared this concept with me from a book that she read.  She wears a single rubber band around her wrist.  Every time she complains, she has to take it off and move it to the other wrist.  (Did you think she had to pop herself?  That's what I thought too.)  It is to serve as a reminder that all of us in the U.S. lead such blessed lives that we really have nothing to complain about.  I thought it was a good idea and I may try it with my kids.  Just a small thing, but she says it makes her more aware of how much she was complaining in a single day.  The goal is to live a complaint free life.  Impossible?  For some I think it would be, but a good goal nonetheless.