An Act of Kindness Challenge
It was a glorious day when my neighbor (7 months new) reached out to me via text to ask which nursery I used to purchase my “roses” which sit proudly in my flower boxes. This was the first clue she knew nothing about flowers and needed some direction - My geraniums are indeed beautiful!
I gave her the information, but thought it would be a great opportunity to connect if I took her. She was so appreciative! We arranged a date and time and I offered to drive. She could not thank me enough. She told me she even called her mother to share her good fortune. Wow, to think I was someone’s good fortune is quite uplifting. She explained further…she and her husband had lived in NYC for 7 years prior to moving here. During that time no one had spoken to them. She detailed even when they joined a gym, not one person said hello.
A stark remembrance popped in my head. My daughter-in-law shocked me when she explained the very same experience when they left Berkeley, CA, after living there for 9 years. We were visiting them in CA the weekend before they were moving to a nearby community. We pulled up to their new home to get a sneak preview before we were headed home back out of the area. What a welcoming! The neighbors across the street, the neighbors on the corner, and even someone walking down the street stopped to welcome them to the neighborhood. It was then my daughter-in-law explained the “silent” treatment they had endured for so long in their previous home. We were so thankful to be leaving that visit knowing they would be in “good hands” with their new neighbors!
Back to this story…. we found a planter and brackets and my neighbor picked out some lovely petunias. We waited as they were planted and she learned how often she had to water them—every day in direct sun except for when it rains. The sales person was very informative and patient. Off we went!
I came back home with a smile from ear to ear, because I knew I had made her day and she had made mine!
