You Don't Know...

Spontaneity can be either my curse or my blessing. A friend gave me a little kitchen sign that reads, “I am subject to bursts of enthusiasm.” I know being everybody’s cheerleader can be annoying, but it’s in my DNA, so I’ll probably stick with it!

I figure YOU DON’T KNOW... "unless." Like this week, when our grass needed mowing, my husband was really busy at the office and I saw the lawn mowing service in the neighborhood. I thought about it, really pondered it and decided it was a little odd, but I walked across the street and watched the guy standing on the big mower going up and down my neighbor’s hill. He had to see me, I was right there-- but no acknowledgement. Should I leave and pretend I just wanted a close up of his mower? Finally he turned down his engine, stepped off his mower, politely irritated to have broken his momentum.

I broke into a song and dance about would he be willing to simply mow one little section of our front yard so my husband could see what it looked like in case he ever needed help? I’d pay for it. Ok, he’d swing by when he finished the neighbor’s.

By the time he got over to our place I’d grabbed some Queen Anne cherries picked two days earlier! Yep…I walked over with the box to thank the guy and tell him he’d done enough. But wait….he wanted to do the whole side yard. He really did. No money. I held out the cherries, “Washed, from Michigan. “Where in Michigan?” Arcadia. “I grew up in Manistee!” And we were off and running. In fact it was so much fun to talk about Michigan, that we both forgot we were standing in Collinsville, IL “The horseradish Capitol of the World.”

By the time we compared Light House and fishing village stories, his two buddies had joined us for cherries and conversation. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, plus 15 to mow the yard. But out of it came a good feeling of helping out on their part and a grateful feeling of being helped on mine. A connection was established for... who knows what. They really enjoyed the cherries and I really appreciated them. We connected on a kindness level.

The side yard looked great; mowed, blown off, trimmed. They left their business card and I hoped my husband would call. He noticed, but actually mowed it over next day and said he needs the exercise. So my surprise was not for him at all. It was for me and a few young men who probably needed some Queen Anne’s to feel a bit like royalty for a few minutes in my front yard as I raved over their work. I‘ll see them again. I’ll refer them to other yard owners. Who knows where else that spontaneity on my part and theirs will lead? God has these little appointments waiting for us. They do pass if you let them. What good does it do? YOU DON’T KNOW... unless.