The Kindness of Finding a Stand In

"For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one astray, to life one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands."
― Christina Rossetti

A young mother I know was eagerly looking forward to a rare night out with her husband to celebrate her birthday.  Her sister had graciously agreed to babysit the couple's two-year-old.  But the sister had not been feeling well and called the young mother to say that she could not babysit.  The birthday girl was momentarily disappointed, but then her sister shared that she had made arrangements with family friends to babysit the toddler.