Inspiration 185: Two Lessons of the Waving Neighbor

  
We have lived in our area for almost twelve years. An old man down the steeet sat in a swing in his front yard, every day, every afternoon..and waved at EVERYONE who drove by. His name was Paul. He died last week. The only way we knew he died was that his family put a sign on the swing, pictured here.

Lesson One: No matter how he felt, no matter how tired he might have been…he sat there and waved at every person who passed. We looked forward to driving by his house and we always waved back. We would honk, he would wave, we would smile, and we would appreciate his simple gesture. His lazy wave became a landmark in our community. When he wasn’t there, he was missed…the drive just didn’t seem the same. 

One simple gesture by an old man too feeble to move became a beacon of inspiration to travelers. What simple thing can you do today to inspire others? What do you stand for in your community? When people see you, do they smile? 

Lesson Two: Almost every time we passed by, we said outload that we needed to stop, introduce ourselves, and let him know how much his wave means to us. We never stopped…twelve years, and we never stopped. I’m ashamed to say that we were too busy, or in too much of a hurry to get to the store, or too rushed to get home…we never stopped. All those years and honks and smiles and waves…and we never stopped. How sad is that!

Now he’s gone, and he will never know how much he meant to us. Our busy life got in the way of our gratitude. Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t let twleve years go by without sharing with people how much their kindness means to you. Introduce yourself and say thank you to the person who greets you at the coffee shop each morning, or the cashier that rings out your groceries, or the policeman directing traffice. They are people who serve and make the world a better place. The least you can do is acknowledge their efforts and say thank you…don’t let the decade change before you express your gratitude.