Ever thought of doing something nice but "dorky"? And then wonder why you would do it because no one would ever see it?
Sad reminder...
So maybe just do it for yourself. And then the surprise can come when it means something to someone else!
An old toppled pine tree...
A couple of years ago, tornados tore through the Cannon Valley. My house was spared, but many beautiful trees were toppled.
One huge pine tree partially covered my roadway. I sawed off some branches but the main tree would have to wait.
It was so sad to look at, so I decided to put a sign on it... just a laminated piece of paper with a red heart and the words: “Love Lives”. Or something like that. Just to remind me of something better every time I passed by.
Maybe it was kind of “dorky”. But I smiled when I drove by. And who would ever see it?
Time goes by...
A year went by. Then two. My little laminated sign got weathered and I took it down.
But wait!
That’s when I met someone who had loved my old sign! He stopped by because he missed seeing it! It had meant so much to him.
He is a “sanitation driver”. I would hear the crunch of his truck coming down our gravel road. He would wave at me if I was outside. Then, after picking up my recyclables he would head back up the driveway.
Here’s the amazing part of the story...
Recently he stopped to share something with me. It was a beautiful hand crafted wooden sign he had made that said ‘WELCOME’ on one side... and “LOVE LIVES” on the other!
“I took the truck driving job and put my mind into my work. I had my fair days and days I just could hardly breathe.
Here's how he explains his reason...
“I waited a long time to be married and have a family. Then I met the woman I fell deeply in love with. I wish I could tell you that it was going to be a happy ever-after but after several years it didn’t work out.“I took the truck driving job and put my mind into my work. I had my fair days and days I just could hardly breathe.
“The only thing I knew to do was to push forward.
Then...
“One day, when learning my new job, I was leaving your driveway and saw your sign.... “Love Lives”. I broke down and cried.
“I wanted to believe that “love lives” but my heart was so broken. I found myself wishing I could turn back time.
“But time kept going by... and every time I read your sign I prayed that the pain would be less and life was waiting to show me some happiness.
“I don’t know if it has but I’ve done my best to push forward.
“After two years of reading your sign and then seeing that it was gone... I couldn’t let it go.
“I knew from our visit that you were a widow. I thought to myself that you had had a special time with someone you loved. I enjoyed our conversation from time to time and to me this was something I had to do... your sign meant so much to me. But to me you needed to keep that sentiment as much as I did.
“Maybe someday love will live in my heart again. Until then I will just keep being me.”
