There are no crafty projects to share today, or art. Just a story. I don’t share a lot of private things about myself. Art and anecdotes, are another story! Today, I have decided to share something that happened yesterday evening.
We were on the front porch. Abe was enjoying barking at the cars and there was a slight breeze, which was nice on a day that had been pretty hot, 93 as a matter of fact. It was almost time to start dinner. We spy our next door neighbor headed across his property toward our place. He’s an older guy, friendly and inquisitive in a typically southern manner about his new neighbors. Mr. Neighbor had previously introduced himself to me a few days ago. I figured he was coming to say hello to James. Keep in mind that he is 87 years old, so his pace was a slow, but determined shuffle, as he made his way toward us. Inside, I was rolling my eyes and dreading the interchange.
Mr. Neighbor finally makes his way to us, and my husband gets up and greets him. We invite him to come sit with us, he declines, mumbling about having something to do that I didn’t quite hear. He introduces himself to James and recalls my name, then he hands James an envelope. We both assume its some type of religious brochure, or an invitation to a church, that sort of thing. It was neither. What was in there shocked us both speechless. There was a significant amount of money in the envelope. My husband and I looked at each other perplexed and befuddled. I quickly jumped to the conclusion that it had to be a mistake. He’s and older guy, he made a mistake, right? We chase him down to return the money. Mr. Neighbor, says, yes he did mean to give it to us. He explains further, we just moved in and he figures we could use a little extra. And, that he does this for everyone who moves into the neighborhood.
Wow, right?
I guess I am sharing this story for a few reasons. In life, I have experienced a lot, some good and some bad. We all cope with a lot of pressure, negativity, stresses from everyday. We hear about everything bad, and it seems that the good stories quickly fade beneath the chaos of life. Our emotions and feelings become jaded or dulled.
Sometimes though, these gems manage to find us, shining a light into our otherwise mundane, apathetic routines. This gesture did just that for me. By sharing the story and its unselfish and simple meaning, you will understand that it is not about money. What it is about, is an act and this story will resonate beyond the words and page of my blog to remind us all, it only takes one ripple for kindness to grow. Choose to be kind.
Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects. – Dalai Lama
Happy Friday & Peace,
Valerie