Unconditional Acts of Kindness

I had to bring up this subject as it really made me think about my past yesterday. Yesterday my MIL called me yesterday and asked that I drive her to the surgery center for an out-patient procedure. My FIL had tore his rotator cuff the previous day and was not healthy enough to do the job. I drove her there, stayed, drove her home, picked up her scripts, took hubby to her office to pick up her vehicle and called at 4:30p to make sure that she had eaten and taken her meds. I also told both of them to call me to help with the laundry and to help around the house. I did all of this because they needed help. Nothing more. No "I hope I get something in return if I do this for them". Just the simple fact that they needed someone to help them and I knew that if I were in that situation that I would want someone to help me too. . . unconditionally.

In my family however, if my mother does something for you, she expects something in return. For example, if she takes my 89 year old grandmother to the doctor she expects my grandma to take her to lunch after the appointment. It bothers my grandmother as it rightfully should. The only reason why I know that it bothers her is because she has told me. Thankfully, my dad is not the same.

It's hard being raised in a family where you are taught that if you would like to have something done for you, you better be expected to pay up. This is a "program" that I have had the great displeasure of trying to kick. I don't want people to know that I would be like that. I have tried my whole life to not be that way. The only place where I am like that is at work only because I am being paid to do a job. However, even at work, with the coworkers that I have that I am close to, I still try to do things in a charitable manner.

Why is my mother like that and so many other people in society? I don't know. Don't really care either. I do know that it is an ugly, self righteous trait that I would not be proud to posses.