"In 2017, just a few weeks after their daughter, Monica Dreesen, graduated from high school, Barbara Alvarez's husband died unexpectedly. They had been estranged from each other, but the loss was still poignant and painful for Alvarez, particularly when the time came for her daughter to leave for college. When Alvarez arrived at the dorms and saw all the other students moving in with the help of their parents, the realization that she was now a single mom hit hard."
"The young woman, whose name Alvarez recalls as Jody, helped them load all their boxes and bins into the elevator, then helped them get all of the belongings to her daughter's dorm room. '[She] even gave us the strength that we lacked to lift and loft the bed,' Alvarez remembered. As the mother and daughter unpacked, Jody continued to come back and check on the pair to make sure they had everything they needed."
"'My constant thought in those days was, 'Who's going to help us? And how will I be able to do this all myself, to help my kid claim her independence and her adulthood?' Jody's help gave Alvarez hope in a moment of great need. And her impact still resonates in Alvarez's life today. 'We still talk about Jody, and what it was that helped her see that this new widowed mother needed help,' Alvarez said."
In 2017, weeks after her daughter Monica Dreesen graduated high school, Barbara Alvarez became widowed when her husband died unexpectedly. Despite an estranged marriage, Alvarez felt profound sadness while preparing her daughter to leave for college. At dorm move-in, Alvarez was overwhelmed watching other parents help their children and feared facing the transition alone. A dorm hall minister named Jody appeared, guided them to a different elevator, carried boxes, helped loft a bed, and repeatedly checked on them. Jody's practical assistance and kindness relieved Alvarez's fear, provided hope, and left a lasting emotional impact on the mother and daughter.
Read at www.npr.org
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