Dr. Alfred Miller

When someone I know dies, I always try to think of an act of kindness in their life that impacted me. With Al, who is my brother-in-law, it was his kindness to my little baby daughter. My twin girls, Laura and Megan, were born in March of 1980. Megan required serious surgery immediately after her birth and was sent to Children’s Hospital. I also had Katie, a 16 month old, at home, and my husband had returned to work in Philadelphia, where he had just been transferred. I would get up early to spend time with Katie and Laura, and then run down to Children’s Hospital to spend ten hours with Megan. When I returned home in the evening, I was terribly worried to leave Megan alone. Al heard the concerns of my heart, so after he finished work, he would go down to Megan and hold her in the rocking chair for several hours each night, often until 10:00 pm. He did this faithfully for seventeen days until we were able to get Megan home with us. He took time off from work the day Megan was released from the hospital and drove us home. His tender act of kindness meant so much to me at a time when I felt so vulnerable. Mother Theresa said, “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Because of his quiet kindness over those several hours and days, I have always held a special place in my heart for Al.