Sunshine in your heart

"You can do a kindly deed
To your neighbor in his need,
If there's sunshine in your heart;
And his burden you will share
As you lift his load of care,
If there's sunshine in your heart today."

                           -You can Make the Pathway Bright

On my bike ride this morning I saw my neighbor out moving his sprinkler pipe. I've been wanting to talk to him so I stopped at his fence and waited. I really wanted to climb over the fence and just start helping him move the pipe, but I didn't want to get electrocuted and I didn't know what to do about the cows in the field. They looked at me like they were going to run over me. Chicken huh? I'm mad I didn't just go out there because when he came to the fence to talk to me I couldn't get him to let me help.  But we had a great conversation and he's going to let our family come back for a visit another night. He's a great guy and I'm so glad that I overcame my fears and introduced myself to him that first time I saw him. 

He's a farmer and he's always busy working.  Unless you walk up to him in his field, or flag him down while he's passing on his three wheeler, you're never going to see him. Sometimes it's intimidating to knock on someone's door, but really it's the best way to meet someone. Luckily for me I caught him in the field behind our house. He was picking up hay in the field with a pitch fork instead of a tractor which is unusual. Of course I had to ask him what was going on and in the process got to know who he was.

On a visit last year I learned what a great neighbor he is. Last winter he was fixing the neighbor's tractor in his garage just because he wanted to do it.  Later on he plowed our neighbor's driveway when they were out of town. 

One time he took us on a tour of his house. He built it himself and it has a lot of cool features.   While he was building it he lived in a bus in the yard. Next time we visit he's going to show us the bus. What a cool guy.

You never know how cool people are until you get to know them. Go out and meet  a new or old neighbor today!

p.s. I'm not sure what the sunflower has to do with it all, but sunflowers make me happy and so does talking to my neighbors. 

Have a good one!