Abby Neilson - A caring teenager

have a close friend who has a teenage daughter.  Like most teenagers, Abby loves to spend time with friends and is constantly busy with school and sports.  And although she’s not always perfect (what teenager is?) she has a way of showing how special she is every single Friday afternoon.

Abby’s grandfather lives by himself and has multiple health problems which prevent him from taking adequate care of himself.  The family has suggested to him multiple times that he accept a visiting caregiver, but each suggestion has been stubbornly denied.  Similar to many elderly people, Abby’s grandfather loves to have family surrounding him but has a hard time accepting the assistance of strangers.  Because of that, Abby spends 2-3 hours every Friday afternoon cleaning, cooking, and caring for him. 

I have witnessed Abby interacting with her grandfather only once, but it was a pleasure of a sight to see.  She told him jokes while washing his dishes.  She made him smile by dancing with the vaccuum cleaner.  She listened to him talk about baseball while doing his laundry and shared some stories of her own while preparing his lunch.  Regardless of what needs to be done at his house, she does it.  The best part of Abby’s actions?  She does it out of her own good will and doesn’t ask for anything in return.

Congratualations to Abby on proving that teenagers can have very big hearts.  Although her grandfather’s health has declined to a point where he will have no choice but to live in an assisted-facility, Abby’s kind actions have given him a weekly event to look forward to.  In the process, Abby has had a chance to learn about a person that has seen things only described to her through textbooks.  Through their sharing of lives, I would consider Abby and her grandfather to have benefitted from the actions of good people.