She explained that she was working on a project for her children for Christmas....using all the old photos from their scrapbooks, she was making each of her five children a book with the photos from their growing-up years. It was going to be a mammoth project.
We talked a little; I was impressed with her cheerful and pleasant nature.
On Wednesday, she was back again working on another child for the project. I asked how many children she had; five was her response. She then added, "But, I am the legal guardian for another child."
Then Deborah told me about Jody, her child of guardianship. She had taken Jody in at age 6. Jody is blind, has cerebral palsy, can't talk, feed herself, use the bathroom, dress herself or function older than a very young child.
Jody is now 40! And Deborah has been her care-giver all that time. Smiling, cheerful Deborah. Happy, pleasant Deborah, who has been the sole source of income since about 1997 when her husband became unable to work. She owned a day-care facility, went to night school full-time to become a teacher, cared for her own family and for Jody.
Deborah is my new uncomplaining and inspiring hero.
For me, serving this mission is all about meeting people like Deborah. Each has a story. Each is inspiring. Each brings something for me to learn every Tuesday and Wednesday.
And, I feel grateful for this brief period of time to work at the family search center.
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