Be someone's angel

An angel visited me this past weekend. Well, not literally an angel, actually, my neighbor, Robert. He’d apparently been watching my son and me struggle to dig out a large Oleander bush that had died. My son was hard at work digging around the root ball, trying to loosen it when Robert appeared out of nowhere, smiling, holding a small shovel, and asking if we needed help.

I don’t really know Robert. He lives across the street, and we’ve only exchanged small talk while working in our yards. But his offer felt sincere, so I said if he was willing, we’d gladly take him up on it.

Once I gave him the go-ahead, he turned into a machine. Without saying much, he trenched down, chopping through thick, years-old roots with the tip of his shovel, lifted the whole thing out, and dropped it straight into the dumpster within minutes. My son and I stared in disbelief. This hours-long job we’d been gearing up for was suddenly done, thanks to this “angel.”

As we praised and thanked him, he grinned and said, “I’m 65 years old, and I’ve done this many times.” Then he headed back across the street and disappeared into his garage. My son and I stood there, wondering if the whole thing had really happened, though the Oleander sitting in the trash was proof it had.

In today’s contentious and divided environment, Robert reminded me that goodness and the willingness to reach out and help others are still alive and well. My wish is that we can all be a little braver, like Robert, and step in when we see someone who could use a hand. Go be someone’s angel. You won’t regret it.