Mother Teresa once said: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things.”

How very true I thought, as I found myself supporting one family during lockdown.

As many have come to realise, the ability to carry out home schooling during lockdown can be very difficult. The parents of one family I have been supporting soon discovered that they lacked confidence and skills in managing the situation. Their son became very aggressive with the changes and restrictions that surrounded him. He ended up hitting out at his stepfather. Thankfully the situation soon de-escalated and all is now well with them.

What followed touched me deeply. I received some real encouragement from the parent of this young person who wrote:

“Just a message to say I am so grateful to have been given you to work with us. We hope you are able to continue to offer help in this way because you are absolutely amazing at your job. Words can’t describe how much it helps just to talk and vent and not to be judged… as I do like to talk!”

For me personally, I hadn’t felt I had done anything significant. I was present and I mostly listened. This made me realise that it is often the smallest things we do that can have the greatest impact on people’s lives.  A smile, a few words, just being a presence providing support and encouragement can make such a difference.