Cover Art by Root and Rose Designs.

My mother-in-law Althea Rainville never understood the profound impact she had on people, especially myself. She never gave up and accepted no excuses to achieve the happiness she dreamed for herself and her family. Although it feels cliché to say, I have learned from her that any small act of kindness has the potential for exponential positive rates of return. My mother-in-law’s hands and heart were always committed to her work, whether it was making dinner or baking my wedding cake.

Shortly after I was introduced to her, Althea decided that she was going to build her own stonewall. Sadly, it was never completed. It never occurred to her that she would not be able to finish it and she figured that she would slowly make progress during her free time. I have since made it my job with my own modifications. Althea was a woman of quiet action and she had a way of offering support without a judgmental tone.

Years later when her husband George wanted to build a two-car garage, my husband and I joined him to hand dig the foundation. Looking back, it never seemed like a crazy proposition. Althea and George made it seem not only possible but easy. The task was not difficult for me and I think that I look back on it with fondness because I enjoyed dinnertime with her afterwards. Those dinners when I was dirty and exhausted will always be some of my warmest memories. After our work, I would often tell her that I was tired and felt 90-years-old, and she would retort back with an eye roll. She was not a woman to put up with hyperboles and self-pity.

The day we went to dinner to celebrate her and her husband’s 50th wedding anniversary, I remember asking her why she had not bought herself a new dress for the occasion. She said that it had slipped her mind but that she intended to buy one for her 75th wedding anniversary. This response was a show of her faith that she would see another anniversary 25 years later. Althea’s positivity and faith shone through in many of her interactions.

My mother-in-law inspired me to sew a queen size quilt by hand even though I did not know anything about sewing. When I completed the quilt, she showed me how to use a sewing machine and even persuaded her Aunt Em to give me hers. I will never be the talented sewer she was, but I rarely pick up a needle or sit at that sewing machine without thinking of her. Much like her commitment to her faith, her hands and heart were fully committed to working with grace, love and precision.

Althea had an insurmountable impact on me in the 33 years that I was fortunate to have loved her. She passed away in April 2020, several months after celebrating her 100th birthday. It seems like there is never enough time with our loved ones, but I am so thankful to have known her. When I think of her, I try to remember that even the smallest acts completed with love and kindness have the potential for exponential positive rates of return on the people we interact with.

Patricia Rainville has worked with Verizon for 26 years. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two children and dog. She enjoys cooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends by the campfire.