Gabby is home from her first semester of college. This past snow storm, the Bomb Cyclone, she rode with me as we were plowing and shoveling out our people’s driveways.
She asked me why our family seemed to adopt certain people in our city. I told her t’s just the way we are. Through 14 years of law enforcement and over 21 years in real estate, I’ve come in contact with so many people. It just seems some people need us here and there to do things.
As she said this, we passed one of our client’s homes. Our client was shoveling with her son and gave us a big wave. We waved back and kept going. Fifteen yards later I stopped in the middle of the road and backed up to where she was. There was a certain look upon her face that said she wanted some help! Sure enough, she asked if we could help clear the driveway and would pay us. I told her pay wasn’t necessary and plowed half of the driveway until she said they could finish the rest.
One of our clients was moving and couldn’t figure out how to take her 12’ indoor plant to her new place. I told her we could help. We put it in the back of her Subaru and I laid down next to the tree and held onto it for the four-mile journey to Portland.
We were closing on a condo and the owner couldn’t get her family to help her with the last few items to take to Goodwill. Of course, I volunteered and brought Jackson with me. Unfortunately, it was 92 degrees out, and the condo was on the 3rd floor. After two full truck loads and two soaked shirts, we were done. Would I volunteer again? In a heartbeat!
I showed up at 9 am to do a final walk-through at our client’s home. Our closing was at 10 am that day. They were supposed to be completely moved out, but everything was still inside. I called Melissa and our kids and within the hour, we had them all moved out and ready in the driveway when the movers arrived!
The last few snow storms I plowed out the end of a neighbor’s driveway, but I didn’t tell her about it. She lives there alone, so taking a few minutes to help was a no-brainer. A day after the storm I got an e-mail from her. “Are you my secret Santa and my new best friend?” I had to admit it. She then asked me to plow out her nephew’s driveway and offered to pay me for it. Of course, I said I would.
A little bit of care makes this world a much better place. Take a look around. Help out your neighbor once in a while or better yet, help out a stranger! Whenever you help someone in our community it makes this community a better place to be!