Okay…I am going to admit it. I will forgive you if you “do me wrong”, but I don’t forget very easily. It’s not that I’m trying to hold on to stuff…I just have a really good memory!
If you borrow a book from me and you don’t return it…I remember. And I probably won’t loan you another one.
Here’s my latest issue: one neighbor has a pitcher of mine, and another has some tongs. Yes, tongs. The more I tell you about this, the more ridiculous it’s going to sound, but trust me, there’s a reason and an end to the story.
Let’s start with the tongs. My neighbors were hosting a birthday party for the little guy’s first birthday. Yes, they are wonderful neighbors and basically hosted OUR party and bought all the food! Well, they were wonderful neighbors…they have long since moved. They needed some extra tongs to pull stuff off the grill, so I gave them a couple. Cheap ones. Probably cost no more than $2 or something. But they didn’t give them back, and I suffered in tongless silence for 3 or 4 years until they moved…presumably with my tongs.
Now, the pitcher. Another neighbor was hosting several neighbors for a barbecue and shrimp boil. Yum! I took a pitcher of drinks. This was an ‘el-cheapo’ rubber pitcher. Probably another $2 item. Since the pitcher wasn’t empty when we left, I left it with her. She never gave it back! This neighbor is still a neighbor, so there’s hope.
But a few days ago, a thought hit me like a ton of bricks. I am BLESSED to have neighbors who are friendly, kind, charitable, giving and just downright lovely. There are neighborhoods where gangs roam and people fight and there’s a lot of turmoil. But not here. Not my neighbors. So maybe they don’t remember to give back a cheap pair of tongs or a stupid rubber pitcher that I can easily replace! You know what? I can’t replace these neighbors!
So keep my pitcher. It’s yours. You’re welcome to it. I’ll even leave you the next one. Do you have great neighbors? Then don’t sweat the small stuff. Consider yourself blessed, too!
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