While I would love nothing more than to have someone come in my home for a good Spring cleaning, there is no one I know more deserving for such a gift than my 82-year-old mother-in-law, Bea Nicolace.

For much of her adult life, she has cleaned other people's homes. In fact, up until this past year, she faithfully took care of a local family's home for over 25 years. She tried to "retire" from housekeeping when her first grandchild came along (she was 74 at the time), so she could care for her granddaughter full time. That lasted a short while. Soon enough, she was caregiver five days a week and on the weekends she cleaned for others. She just didn't want to give it up!

She scrubs showers. She cleans windows. She does laundry-and that includes ironing undershorts! She gets homes ready for friends who are seasonal residents, and cleans the homes up after they leave. When I went on vacation for a week, she came over to my house and gave it a good cleaning, without me asking her to. Just because she wanted to.

But she's 82 now and her body isn't quite as strong as her spirit. Mopping her own floor or vacuuming gives her aches and pains. She can't lift her arms to dust that top shelf any longer. For Christmas, my husband and I bought her a lightweight vacuum cleaner in an effort to aid her. How's that for an exciting gift. Not.

Bea Nicolace has cleaned unselfishly for others for literally decades and only slowed down because her body has cried out for her to. What a treat, indeed a blessing, to have someone, for once in HER life, do the same for her.