Showing Compassion Changes YOU
Bringing Love and Caring Back Into Your Life
Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my life that I forget how to care about others. But during times when I show compassion to another person, I realize it changed my own life.
In our small town in Iowa, we live next to a row of duplex condominiums. While walking my dogs past these homes, I have met several of our neighbors, including Amber, a single mom raising a teenage daughter.
A couple summers ago, I noticed Amber had trimmed some of her trees but left the branches and leaves in a random pile next to the curb.
For branches to be picked up for recycling here, they have to be cut into four-foot lengths and grouped into bundles tied with string. But week after week, the ragged pile of branches sat on the lawn next to Amber’s driveway.
Finally, I decided to do something nice for this neighbor. So I gathered my tree trimmers, a rake, a broom, and a ball of twine and headed to Amber’s home. For the next couple of hours, I cut the branches into short lengths and tied them in bundles.
Then I raked up the leaves and debris and put them into a special bag that city staff would pick up with the trash. Finally, I swept the leftover grime off Amber’s driveway and sidewalk, then gathered my tools and…
