Are they listening?

We got a lot of snow the other day. I was content to stay locked inside and dig out later. Especially when the folks who were knocking on the door offering to shovel my driveway were adult men and women and asking for way too much money. I guess it is a sign of hard times. Gone are the days when the neighborhood kids did that sort of thing. I can remember raking leaves, cutting grass, shoveling snow and planting gardens. I digress...So, I am sitting at my desk pretending to work when I hear this scraping noise outside the window. I go to look and it is some of the neighborhood kids shoveling Miss Tina's driveway. I was moved to tears. I was especially moved when I saw a little 4 year old with his baby shovel helping.

I have been telling these kids for three years that we are a community and we need to care about each other. Everything is not always about money. When you see Ms. Mary across the street carrying groceries or dragging her trash can to the curb--HELP HER. I was not sure if they were listening. Still, I kept encouraging them to show love to our neighbors. So after they built 2 snow forts and had several snowball fights they decided to shovel my driveway.

I bundled up and went outside to thank them. I used my wheelchair so I could help too (can't lift the snow while standing). I could not run, so they took that as a moment to flood me with snowballs. They loved getting Miss Tina wet...quiet as it is kept, I had fun too.

I invited them in for cookies and hot chocalate. Over our snack I learned that they had helped a couple of neighbors a few times washing cars and cutting grass. And that they decided on their own to help me that day. Whoo Hooo!

Well I am thankful that they are getting the idea of being connected as a community. It was all fun and games until someone spilled hot chocolate...of course they cleaned it up. Aren't there laws about child labor (LOL)