An Unexpected Gift

A sister's gift blesses a community and her whole family   

My Christmas present this year for my brother is a desk calendar-you know, the kind where you create a custom calendar using your own photos. The photos for all 12 months are from our trip this summer to a remote village of about 25 homes in Guatemala. My brother, my husband and I were part of a team that drilled a well to provide clean water for this rural community.

This trip almost didn't happen. I thought it was our gift to my brother, who struggles with overwhelming depression. Turns out, it was his gift to us.

My brother Matt lives several hours away, but we talk frequently by phone. He doesn't have many friends where he lives, but depression is a constant companion. It unfairly monopolizes his time and makes it hard for him to work, which he does with great fortitude.

He wants to find a better job but struggles with figuring out just what profession is right for him. He tries to be to be hopeful about recovery and have a positive outlook, but it is hard to do on a day-to-day basis.

I thought that going on a trip like this would give him something to look forward to, something new to see and do, and possibly could allow him to experience what it would be like to work in a job where you help other people. He is really good at supporting others.

My hope is that he keeps the calendar on his dresser and looks at it every day. I hope he will remember the sense of accomplishment of working from dawn to dusk in the heat. I hope he can savor the unbelievable camaraderie that was created between the "gringos" and the wonderful people of our village. I hope he laughs when he remembers the scrawny chihuahua with the red bandana that was the village mascot. I hope he re-lives the joy of seeing the hugest smile ever on the 5 year old that got to scoop up the first drops of clean water that came gushing from the new well.  

And come Matt's birthday in October (which isn't always the "happiest" of days), I hope the photo of the fanciest, most elaborate cake you have ever seen will remind him how humbled we were when people who have houses with dirt floors collected money to get us a cake from the bakery and present it to us, while shooting off fire crackers in our honor.... We witnessed sacrificial giving.

As I sorted through our photos for his calendar, I was reminded of the fact that not only did my brother get to experience all this, but SO DID I. Without a doubt, it was one of the most rewarding and meaningful experiences I've ever been a part of.

Beyond the people we worked with, sharing this experience with my husband deepened our relationship together. I got to see (once again) the unquestioning support my husband gives my brother and me. I am reminded how lucky I am to be married to this compassionate man.

I have Matt to thank for all of this. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have gone on this trip.

Sure, my husband and I had considered doing a trip like this before. But we always had plenty of lame excuses: costs too much, too busy, another time would be better, etc., etc.

I still cry about my brother sometimes. It breaks my heart that what comes easy for others is such a struggle for him. He deserves happiness, and it is my hope that we can find it together.

I would never ever wish depression on anyone, but I am also certain that his story has a silver lining...Because of Matt, we actually quit TALKING about a making a difference and actually DID IT.

There are many more silver linings in Matt's story, and I am hopeful there is a lot more sunshine ahead for him. Today, I'm going to cherish these wonderful experiences and know I am blessed to have Gary for my husband and Matt as my brother.