Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Iowanian
For those without the financial availability to help someone in that capacity....there are Still alot of things you can do. Scoop the snow off the walk for that old widow across the street
|
I've been doing that for 24 years now. The woman who lived across the street from me has a degenerative spine condition that has been slowly fusing her spine together. She could barely, and I mean BARELY walk. She would fall all the time. Sometimes she would lay on the floor all night until one of us neighbors went to check on her. Thank God we did that every day.
I always shoveled her walk when it snowed and I always mowed her grass for her. When her adult children came to pay her a visit, they never lifted a finger to help her. Here I would be, hanging precariously from a ladder, cleaning out the poor woman's gutters and they would just look at me like I was insane and drive off.
I moved away from there after 24 years in Sept of 2004. To this day, I still drop by and see if she needs me to do anything for her. We always have the same conversation and goes a little something like this.
"Joyce, do you need me to clean out your gutters, pick up around the yard or anything else for that matter?"
"No, no, no! You do enough for me and you never let me pay you!"
"Honey, that's what neighbors are for. I don't mind. If I did, I would have never asked you about doing any of this all those years ago."
"No, no, no. I'm fine. I'm sure after you've worked all day you have better things to do that look after this old woman. I'm fine."
"Sweety, I can see leaves and twigs hanging from your gutter. I'm going to use your ladder and clean them out real quick and then I promise I'll get out of you hair."
"You let me pay you this time!"
"My fee hasn't changed and you and I both know you can't run me down and stuff money in my pocket. (said with a grin)"
"You know, I've told you this a (and yes she uses this word) umptyjillion times, but one day, God will reward you for this. I can't believe you do these things for me."
"I'm not here to impress God. If God is impressed, that's fine, but it's not why I do it. I'm here to look after you and make sure you're OK. Now, you go back in the house and I'll check on you when I'm finished."
"Well .... OK ... but I still wish you'd let me pay you."
Her and that pay me thing just cracks me up.
Anyway, the point is this. Try and do things like this all the time. Sure, the holiday season reminds us to be a little nicer to one another, a bit more kind and to get in that spirit of giving. However, we really don't need an excuse like the Holiday season to be good to one another. It's something we should practice often, year round. I'm not suggesting you make it a daily habit but I do encourage you to make a concerted effort to do something nice for at least one person, once a week.
It doesn't have to be much. It doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. It doesn't have to involve back breaking labor. Just do the little things if need be. Last week, some guy I didn't know from Adam didn't have change for the pop machine at work so he and his wife could enjoy a soda. I just reached into my pocket, produced a handful of change and said, "Help yourself." The guy had a priceless look on his face, like he'd just been asked the hardest question in the world and had no answer. It may have also been the fact that a white guy like me was offering up money to a black guy he'd never met. Either way, the look I got was gold and along with a, "Thank You." he tossed in a, "God Bless You, My Brother." as well.
So come on boys and girls. Let's all pitch in and help out our fellow man. What goes around, comes around.