What Goes Around, Comes Around.

You are probably familiar with the idiom, "What goes around, comes around." According to the definition offered in The Free Dictionary by Farlex, this means "The results of things that one has done will someday have an effect on the person who started the events." I have found this to be true in my own life.

Just as I started high school, my family moved to Mallorca, Spain. For four years I attended the American School of Mallorca and I lived at home, but a high percentage of the students were boarders.

Many of my friends lived in the rooms in this building at the American School of Mallorca.

My family would often invite some of the boarding students over for dinner or the weekend. My mom and dad were generous with help, parental advice, or support for these kids when it was needed. My parents

told me that they liked doing things for my friends, because "someday our children will be far from us, and we'd like to think that if we do these things now, other people will be supportive when and if one of you needs help." That conversation is one that I have never forgotten.

For school trips we sometimes rode on buses. However, it was not uncommon for my mom to pile kids (more than would legally be allowed with today's seat belt laws!) into our station wagon and drive the winding roads of the island to basketball games or other events.

On weekday mornings it was usually just my three sisters and I walking to school from our house, but after school or on weekends we were frequently accompanied by friends.

We didn't have to wait long to test my parent's theory. After being home for the Christmas break of my freshman year, I stopped off in Pennsylvania before returning to the University of Delaware. One of my previously mentioned high school friends had moved to Pittsburgh with her family, and I was thrilled to have an opportunity to see her again. 

Unfortunately, a fun afternoon of sledding during that visit ended with me having a badly broken leg. I will be forever grateful to my friend's mother, for helping me to navigate the hospital system and return to college. This was long before International communications were as easy as they are now. I was acutely aware of how far I was from my own parents, and I would have felt quite helpless without her assistance. 

This is me, during the 3 days I was hospitalized for my broken leg in Pittsburgh.

This experience cemented for me the belief that good deeds are something that get passed around. As a mother now, I have always tried to be supportive of my kid's friends, and I totally understand my parent's philosophy. My husband and I have raised our children to be resourceful and independent. I do hope, however, that if they ever are feeling lost or in need of help while away from home, someone physically present will step in and be there for them, almost as their dad or I would if we could. 

I just read a beautifully written article by Julianne Palumbo that prompted these thoughts and memories. Having played the role of both the mother and the daughter in this story, it spoke to me on many levels. I shed a tear while reading it, and I suspect that you will too. Just click on this link to read her article:

Daughter, Near and Far by Julianne Palumbo

This picture of the U. of Delaware mascot (a Fighting Blue Hen) was in my photo album; I'm sure I thought it was pertinent because the casted leg - but as a mother I now see all the other perils pictured that can befall a college student! Being in a non-walking cast for 12-weeks proved challenging. I ended up withdrawing that semester and later attending a different school. But, that's another story!

News about guns; unsettled weather patterns; terrorist acts; and the testing of new hydrogen bombs, as well as worries about accidents; stressful moments and all the small daily challenges of life can weigh heavily on a distant parent's mind. 

Thank goodness for all the mothers (and fathers) who have each other's backs. 

Do you have a memory of a time when a parent besides your own really helped you out?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!