Today's Gift

Today when I went home for lunch I found out that our neighbor had past away.  Jack owned and ran a motor repair shop that shared walls to our flat.  He just recently found out that he had stage 4 cancer.  The same cancer that took his father away from him a few months prior.  

When I pulled up to my house Jack’s son walked up to me to let me know.  The only thing I knew what to do was to hug him.  I asked if he need anything and of course he said no.  I jumped back into my car and went to an ATM to give the gift that can’t do everything, but can fill a spot of earthly need.  I handed him the envelope and went inside.  Seconds later Jack’s wife knocked on my door.   

Standing there was a woman that just lost her husband.  We embraced and couldn’t let go.  I had never met her before and there we were, holding on to each other so tight that I could feel her heart.  She kept telling me how she doesn’t know what she’s going to do without her best friend  ...I believed her. 

Her daughter-in-law came to help her and as she was walking away I just started sobbing.  I was crying for many reasons; the loss of a sweet man, the sympathy for a family in need, the idea of one day loosing Paul, and the fact that I was this mans neighbor and didn’t do more to help them when he was there.  Jack smiled and gave me a wave almost every time I pulled out of my garage for work.  He signed for our FedEx boxes on a weekly occurrence and I never once wrote him a thank you card, brought him and his son lunch, or even stopped by to shoot the shit.  What was I doing that was so important instead of being a decent human being? 

Today is a true wake up call to myself, to open my eyes and see others that are around me.  To listen when God says give.  She kept telling me that our gift meant more than I could know.  I wish I could know that that gift is a blessing that God has given me and that we all can all fulfill each others needs. 

One by one – neighbor by neighbor.

Love, Sarah