My parents are elderly. It's hard for me to say that outloud, since it ages me, too! My mom and dad still live in the house I grew up in on the near west side of Madison. The kitchen has been remodeled twice and I can't count the number of times the exterior and interior have been painted. For 46 years they have mowed grass, shoveled sidewalks, and raked leaves.
Such was the case recently when I stopped at lunch time to find my dad in the front yard tending to fallen leaves. An endless job for him with the large silver maple tree that drapes over the front of the house and seems to hold her leaves far into the autumn. Happy for the break, we stepped into the house for a quick visit.
As I was leaving and he was preparing to return to the leaves, I noticed a woman raking leaves in front of their house. I ventured out to find out she was a neighbor who was just out to help.
"Your parents always have such a nice looking yard," she explained. "It's a shame to see it covered with leaves."
I picked up a rake and she and I finished raking the front yard while my dad bagged the leaves to take to the city drop off site.
It was so refreshing to know that there are neighbors who look out for neighbors. People who lend a helpful hand just because. People who dive in for no reason other than it was a beautiful day and leaves needed to be raked. It strengthened my faith in humanity. It also made my day! I think it made my dad's day, too!
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