Our local grocery store is running a one day sale today and they are offering bags of mulch five for $10.00. Now that’s a good deal around here, I won’t have to drive out of town and I’m in desperate need of mulch. Not only have we not put any new mulch down the last few years, my beautiful, wonderful chickens have destroyed what was left. (the chickens don’t know it yet but their days of roaming free are coming to an abrupt halt very soon) So, after dropping Drew off at school I made a quick trip to Brother’s Market.
Usually we get our mulch at Menards and I always at least have Joe to help me and usually one or two boys along to help too. But since Joe is out of town, Drew is in school and Eric is home in bed, I was on my own. The store always offers to help carry out groceries, (which I always say no to, I need all the exercise I can get!) and they offered to help load the mulch so for once I agreed to the help. Only to discover that my help was a female clerk older than me. Now I felt guilty making her help me but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, we go outside and there is an old friend – his daughter and mine graduated high school together and our families spent many a night sitting together watching a softball game or volleyball game or you name it supporting the girls. (Of course I’ve known him and his wife all my life even though they are a few years older than me. We all grew up here and I see his wife when I sub at school as she is an Associate there. And she used to cut my hair as she used to work as a hairdresser. It’s a small community!) But I hadn’t seen him in years as the girls have been out of school for years now and he travels for work like Joe does. He was loading up a trailer with mulch for his blueberry patch. He immediately asked me how many bags I was wanting and offered to help. I helped him throw a few more bags onto his trailer, he pulled ahead, waited for me to get my truck, and helped me and the store worker fill my truck. During this time a young man I’ve known for years from working at the school walked up, put his stuff off to the side and proceeded to start helping us too. He works at the store so I told him he needed to be sure and go clock in before helping and he informed me he wasn’t working there today. He just saw I needed help and stopped to lend a hand. After getting the truck loaded up and thanking everyone, I left the store with such a good feeling inside. This is why I love living in my small community. People you haven’t seen in years will take time out of their busy day and stop whatever they are doing to lend a hand. A young man, someone who remembers me from years ago when he was just a sweet little boy needing some extra help at school, will go out of his way to help me just because he can. The caring and kindness people show each other on a day to day basis, the small little things they do for each other without wanting anything in return, this is what makes my little community and so many communities in this big old world so special. Those two made my day and they didn’t even know it!
Love this story!