A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Simple Act of Kindness

I've found that we can do most everything that comes our way...with very little help from others. Since Joe has had surgery (and he vows no more surgery in the winter... if it can be helped) we've pretty much handled things ourselves.The only thing that I am having trouble with is the garbage collection. I'm fine with taking out the trash in good weather, but when it snows or we have icing, like yesterday, it's very difficult. Our driveway slopes down to the garage... making us have to climb up to the road with the can and then slide down to put the can away. Someone was supposed to do this in inclement weather, but he hasn't...so it's been up to me. Our garage floor is very slippery when we have snow on our boots. I fixed that by taking the carpet runner we have in the mudroom out and putting it on the garage floor...I can walk on that after bringing the cans back to avoid slipping.

Well the day before yesterday I broke down some boxes and took two cans out. Yesterday morning the trash collectors took the trash and there sat the empty cans. A few minutes later a knock at the door. It was Betty's husband... up the road....Bruce happened to be out for a walk and saw the cans sitting there. He brought them back to the garage and knocked to ask me to open the door. Snow had built up next to the door, since our plow guy had been there, and the front walk had snow on it. He offered to shovel the snow and make our entry safe. I can't explain in words how grateful I was. This simple act of kindness made me almost cry.When I was a girl my Mom used to say that people earned their angel wings by doing kind things for others...without having to be asked.

So, that brings me to what I want to say today.There are all kinds of people in our lives...some who have to be asked to help and then there are those who know right away... what needs to be done. Sometimes just a simple act of kindness means so much to another.Someone who has a family member in the  hospital might be touched by a jar of chicken soup at the door. Taking a casserole or a homemade cake to a person who is recovering from surgery. A good book to read for a person recuperating. A simple visit with valentine cookies to a shut in. A simple hug. A loaf of bread, warm from the oven. Someone to bring the mail in....and a lovely neighbor who saw my trash cans sitting near the road and a sidewalk that needed shoveling.
Thanks, Bruce...
Balisha

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Morning, Bless Bruce for seeing your need and helping you out. We never know how a simple act of kindness/thoughtfulness will impact another. Wishing you a nice day.

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

What a nice story. Glad you have such helpful neighbors!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Glad your neighbor Bruce blessed you with his kindness.

That is so uplifting!

Have a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady

Barbara said...

So glad you had the help you needed. They say that getting old is not for sissies and I am beginning to appreciate that!

Barbee' said...

I almost cried myself while reading this. I so understand. What a wonderful neighbor. We have one who frequently, while taking his morning walk, brings our daily newspaper up to a table at the big garage door. Of course that is during hot weather, but still so nice of him.

acorn hollow said...

so wonderful you had a nice neighbor.
Cathy

Anonymous said...

On the flip side of being able to help a neighbor is the joy of being able to do it! Please give us a call when we can help again.....we surely don't want Joe to lose his main caregiver to an icy fall!

Betts

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

That is awesome.
When we were laid up after a car accident, someone mowed our lawn for us while we were gone to a doctor appointment. Never found out who the angel was.
May more blessings come your way.
(Hug)

Blondie's Journal said...

A beautiful post, Balisha. You have good people around you. Living so close to one another in the city, many use their snow blowers to clear the sidewalk from one corner to another. It makes my heart swell.

I'm so glad to see you get the help you need, I've been there.

XO,
Jane

Judy said...

This sounds like my friend Pearl's husband. He goes out for a walk everyday--every once in awhile, I hear the "thud" of my garbage can as he brings it up from the road and puts it back in it's place. Or I'll hear the scrape of the snow shovel, or he will bring my mail up to the door. I am so grateful for those kindnesses.

debra @ frugal little bungalow said...

Bruce is a good guy..the right kind to have around! :)

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Oh yes Balisha - kind acts are so appreciated. I take my trash to a center and now it is sometimes difficult to unload - 6 bags the other day and someone stepped forward and helped me unload.
With a cane in hand sometimes someone will open a door.
All of these kind acts almost make me cry...
I have always noticed when one needs help and try to do the same thing-in the past never needed any help and life changes as we age...