returning favors
Ditch-Runner
Member Posts: 25,236 ✭✭✭✭
a some what long story but hard to shorten it up much
when we first moved into our current house we knew no one , for the most part thats still true we keep to our self's but have met the neighbors but just the wave hi at the passing at th email box or say a few words just to show no problems
any way our lane drifts up big time in the winter . when the wind blows hard and just a few inches of snow have fallen . just so happen one of the neighbors had a small excavating business ( we did not know that then ) he also had a contract with the small town ( now village ) about a mile from us . so on his way to or from street clearing with his back hoe he would swing by do our drive way . I had never met the fellow and he would just clear the snow and gone . on the 2nd or third time I ran out and stopped him and said thank you of course and told him what a good thing he was doing saving my back LOL we would stop by in the spring give him a hundred dollars or so for his fuel and time he would refuse but always accept it after a bit of arm twisting . it just felt like the right thing to do
any way skip ahead 30 + years and we had bought a tractor with a blade years ago but remained friendly with carl and his wife sandy . . wife and as we drove by there place a week or so ago I commented I had heard he was not doing so well he had dementia . thru the rumor mill at the post office ( little town big mouths )
Ok get to the point this morning his wife called said carl had fallen and she needed help to get him back up ( he is big fellow well over 6' and his wife about 5' nothing ..any way my wife said she would be right there as she was headed out the phone rang again Carl had managed to get up and was back in the house safe . so no help needed but My wife did tell her if they ever needed any thing just call we would do our best to help
he helped us many a nasty snowy day clearing our drive way. its least we can do to repay his kindness with a bit of support when he needs it now . sad to see any one suffering with it my mom grandmother aunt and uncles all had it and my wifes mom who stayed with us .
Comments
A nice morning reminder to love thy neighbor.
Look out for and take care each other. Great reminder DR. Best wishes for Carl.
Good on you and your wife, DR.
My neighbors have been great. While I was taking care of June 24 hours a day for the past 2 years while she was battling cancer our neighbor Jeff mowed our lawn every weekend and also trimmed our hedges when they needed it. He took our trash can to the road and back every Thursday without me ever asking him for help. I tried to pay him but I could tell I was about to offend him with money so I quit. He wouldn't have any part in taking money. He and his wife Dorthey are 2 of the finest people ever put on Earth.
It used to be "What goes around, comes around" but mostly now it's "What does it gain ME".
Somewhere around 1962 or 63 Mom and I(age 10-11) were in town getting dairy cow feed when the pickup had a flat and we had no spare. One of the guys at the feed mill had a similar pickup and both offered it's use AND changed it. Fast forward to the mid-80's and this man's Son was trying to get a promotion within the agency where I worked (and had some level of influence). I used that influence to help the Son in a return gesture for his Father's good deed.
To this day, I can ask that man (the Son) for anything and he wouldn't blink. In fact, he's turning back the clock by offering assistance to my Grandson's career. A full cycle of generosity.