When people think of kindness, they often think of grand gestures. But sometimes kindness looks like showing up—day after day, year after year. That’s who my dear friend Jackie Patrick is.

Jackie and I have been friends since we were little girls. In my memoir, YES! There Are Black People in Utah. NO! I am Not a Mormon, I write about meeting a little girl on the corner who looked just like me, with a beautiful soft Afro. That little girl was Jackie. We grew up together, and over the years she became more like a sister than a friend.

Caring for others has always been part of who Jackie is. As a young adult, she moved to Houston to care for her elderly grandmother. Throughout her life, she has helped family members, cared for a child with special needs, and supported friends whenever they needed a helping hand.

Years later, Jackie returned to Utah to care for her aging parents. She devoted herself to meeting their needs until they both passed away. But her caring spirit didn’t stop there.

When my parents began needing extra help, I faced a challenge familiar to many adult children. I live in Arizona, while my parents remain in Utah. As my father’s health declined and he could no longer drive, Jackie quietly stepped in.

Today, she makes sure my parents get to medical appointments, grocery stores, and other errands. She checks on them regularly, takes my mother shopping, and sometimes surprises my father by asking if he’d like to go get a hamburger. When I travel to Utah, Jackie is there to pick me up from the airport and take me back when it’s time to leave.

Because of Jackie, I have peace of mind. I know my parents are cared for by someone who genuinely loves them.

Her kindness extends far beyond my family. Jackie encourages others through daily messages, supports veterans through her work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and is always ready to help a friend in need.

Jackie reminds me that kindness isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it is simply being there when someone needs you most.

And that kind of kindness changes lives.