Praying over your little sister when she’s sick might be what she remembers long after the fever is gone.

Children remember being cared for long after they forget what was wrong with them. The particular words matter far less than the fact that somebody sat with them and took the fear seriously, and that tends to settle deeper than the illness did. Small acts of attention get stored. You are often making a memory while you think you are only getting through an evening.

Sit with whoever in your house is unwell or worried this week, even for five minutes, and do whatever your family does. Say something out loud rather than only thinking it. Years from now, that may be what is remembered.