Sweet?

So here's a thing I've been thinking about since..a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I guess.

I had been thinking I'd like to be doing more for other people, and not just worrying about my own, and my family's, concerns so much. I was starting to feel really self-centered, and a little down. And it was hard because I'm not really in a position to do much for people. Or, the things I  can do... I may not be aware of the need.

One day, in Relief Society, they sent around a sign-up for people to cook once a week for an older couple; they had recently discovered that the wife had congestive heart disease, and would probably die within six months. The husband was taking care of the cooking, and didn't feel like he needed help, but they were glad to accept the offer of having someone bring them a meal once a week and visit with them a little, on Wednesdays. And I thought, "I can do that." So I signed up for a day that was still free.

And then I thought, It's easy for me to cook a meal for another person, or even for a whole other family. I have food in the house; I like to cook. This is something I can do for other people. And I decided to volunteer to cook for people whenever I heard about that particular need. So whenever a sign-up sheet went around, I put my name on it.

And pretty soon people started telling me, "It's so sweet of you to do that!"

??

OK. Next scenario.

I found out about a family who needed some Christmas. The only thing I did was put a bug into the right ears, and Christmas happened. And it was wonderful to be a part of it—to see how people just jumped in to help. That was truly the best part of my Christmas this year. But, again, people were telling me, "It's so sweet of you to do this for them!"

And it was weird, you know? That's not what it was about.

One more.

A few weeks ago a friend, an older lady who lives by herself, called us on a Saturday night around 9 p.m. because she needed a ride to the emergency room. Bruce and I were glad to take her. And we stayed with her until 2 a.m. and gave her a ride home.

The following Sunday I was telling another friend about this and she said, "It was so sweet of you to do that for her."

And I am really puzzled.

I'm not doing these things, or telling people about them because I want a pat on the head. I told people about the Christmas thing because I  needed the help. I was telling about my Saturday friend in the E.R. because my Sunday friend wondered why I was so tired that day.

I wasn't being sweet. It's just...  These things needed to be done; people had a need. And I was there. I didn't do anything amazing, I just did what anyone would have done.

So how should I react—what should I say—to people who want to praise me for these things? Because the polite—and even kind—thing would be to graciously accept their compliment, I guess. I mean, if someone praised my skills as a pianist (which is not likely with the amount of practicing I do), that's what I would do; I would just say, "Thank you." But that is really a different thing.

I guess this is why we do our alms in secret; why, when we do a good deed, we try to do it so that our right hand doesn't even know what the left hand is doing.

I don't need anyone to say anything about this; I'm certainly not fishing for more compliments. I'm just trying to process it, I guess.