Paying it Forward Quatro

Much like yesterday's post, when my stepson and his girlfriend moved back here from a stay in Arizona, then California, we wanted to help them out.  They stayed in our basement when they first arrived back, but found an apartment within a week.

They really didn't have much (anything) so we gave them some stuff to use, a blow up mattress, card table and chairs to borrow.  We also gave them some bedding, bathroom towels, and our 43 inch television (I think this was a selfish ploy by my husband to get a new tv).  We went through our cupboards to see if we had doubles of anything, and found things like extra colander, baking dishes, cast iron skillet, we also emptied out our freezer of foods we though they would eat.

Then we hit the store for more food, cleaning items, and some necessities like dish towels, measuring cups, cooking utensils, and things like that.

We wanted them to have a good start back at home.  They seemed very motivated to make it on their own, both finding jobs fairly quickly.

They seem to be doing okay still, though we don't see them much anymore.

That's all for my pay it forward stories for the week.  Don't forget to check out B. Miller's blog and her Pay it Forward Giveaway.

Come back tomorrow for the Friday Free For All, where anything can happen. :)

Ciao,

Megan

Paying it Forward

B. Miller who is having a Pay it Forward contest this week, has inspired me to write about paying it forward all this week.  I told you about the woman whose electric bill I paid, but I like to think I've other things to pay it forward in life. 

Today I'm going to talk about my neighbors, Joe and Joanne.  They are an elderly couple we've had the privilege of living next door to for 14 years now.  In the beginning, Rusty and I both were busy full time workers, he for the county, me eleven  hours a day at home daycare.

If Joe would go out to mow the lawn, and he would see that we hadn't got to ours yet, he'd come mow it for us.  If he was out before us on garbage day, he would take our garbage and recycling cans out and bring them in after they'd been emptied.  They also watch our house while we vacation, brought in packages, and would share from their garden.

A few years ago, Joe had a stroke, and they're just getting on in age and not able to do some of the things they once did with ease.  So things have been reversed.

We used to mow their lawn, but now our other neighbor Max does it.  But Rusty now takes out their garbage cans, rototills their garden for them every year, we now share from our garden because it's larger and more fruitful, and we help out whenever with whatever we can.

And why this all seems like paying it back rather than forward, I think people seeing us do these things is also paying it forward.

Like last weekend we trimmed up some overgrown hedges of theirs.  It was a big job, lots of trimming, raking, to do.  We had a woman running for our legislature come by and we talked for awhile.  She, as well as others in our neighborhood were witness to what we were doing for Joe and Joanne, and I don't want accolades for it, that's not what it's about, but I think maybe others seeing us do that is an inspiration to pay things in life forward.

Because I think it was obvious that though the work was hard, it was gratifying for us to help out.

Try to pay someone forward or back this week.  You'll be a better person for it.

Ciao, 

Megan