We each have unsung heroes in our lives. These are the people who simply do what is “expected.”  As a result, we don’t give them much thought.  Their efforts don’t make the newspapers.  Their reliability doesn’t lead to prizes or monetary gain.  But they do the one critical thing that so many people fail to do: They show up.

Showing up doesn’t seem like a big deal until you think about how many people don’t do exactly that. In the United States, one in four children are being raised without a father.  That is a phenomenal number of people who aren’t showing up.  In the U.S., 40-50% of marriages end in divorce.  That means one or both spouses stopped showing up and stopped doing what was expected in their marriage.

Showing up and doing what you are supposed to do is more important than it seems. There are lots of people we rely on to show up, besides our family members.  Our children’s teachers, school bus drivers, the police and garbage collectors are some important ones.  If they decided to stop showing up, our lives would be grim, indeed.

Unfortunately, we tend to take for granted those who do what is expected. Their contributions to our lives don’t seem like a big deal.  After all, aren’t they just doing what they are supposed to be doing?  Yes, except doing what you are supposed to do isn’t easy.

I’m a mother, and I can assure you that being a responsible parent isn’t easy. At times, my career has had to take a backseat to my job as a mother.  And significant parts of my free time go to doing those things that make my daughter’s life better.  I make her lunch, I do her laundry, I chauffeur her to activities, and I spend a lot of time listening to her and providing her with emotional support.  So, I don’t have time to watch television.  And I don’t have a break in the day to get my nails done.  And very often, I run on too little sleep.  But that’s what happens when you “show up” as a parent.

Most of us are lucky enough to have someone in our lives on whom we can rely. We don’t wonder if that person is going to show up and do what they are supposed to do.  We know that we can count on them.  This week, tell the person who “shows up” for you how much you appreciate them.  Tell that person that you value their reliability.  Let him or her know that their decision to be responsible has made a significant difference in your life.  Tell that person that you understand that showing up isn’t always easy, and that you are thankful that they have made that sacrifice for you.

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)

Follow me at https://www.facebook.com/yourmorningcupofinspiration/