This is the story of how the Christmas spirit just smacked me in the face. I just wasn't feelin' it an hour ago and then WHAM....
So a few weeks ago someone tried to steal my car. I don't "know" any of my neighbors we just kind of wave at one another & smile but I then decided to let them know that they need to lock their cars. So I tugged on my boots and walked across the street. I told neighbor 1 about the saga & then asked if he thought the man next door (neighbor 2) was at home. I have always called neighbor 2 "creepy neighbor" because he sits outside a lot (even when it's snowing and raining and 6 AM) and I always just thought it was a little creepy that he was always lurking around outside staring and then waving at me. He never leaves his house and the only person I've ever seen at his house is neighbor 1. Then neighbor 1 says to let him talk to neighbor 2 because neighbor 2 has a severe drinking problem and he doesn't know what kind of day he's having.
This completely broke my heart. I have never in my entire life felt like a bigger asshole. He isn't creepy at all, he has a problem that he constantly struggles with and I rushed to judgement. I then decided to rename him "Hugsy" because I just wanted to run over and give him a hug. (In case it isn't obvious these names are only used in my head, I would never be like "WHAT'S UP HUGSY?!" because that would be really awkward.)
So once I started thinking about all the times I just kind of looked away and didn't say hi to him and the apparent lack of any human family (he does have 2 dogs that he is always playing with) I got really really sad. Thinking about someone who doesn't have any family to spend Christmas with makes me want to cry. I wanted to do something nice for Hugsy. I don't know how to cook and we don't exactly have any 'disposable income' especially during this time of year, so I decided to make him something. I remembered seeing a comic from Kate Leth a few days before that about a really simple pretzel candy recipe so I went back to her comic page (which is awesome and you should totally read) and found it. I made candy for neighbor 1 & his wife, Hugsy, and this little old lady neighbor who comes by now & then to talk about Alden because her grandson has developmental disabilities too.
I delivered the candy during the apocalypse just in case we didn't make it til Christmas (okay really I just knew that I was about to be too busy to remember to deliver it). I just stuck the candy in their mailboxes with a Christmas card that just said "to our neighbors, from the family in the little yellow house" because I don't know their real names.
I hadn't checked the mail since Friday because we had to go out of town on Saturday and I feel like a weirdo when I go get the mail from the week before on Sunday because the mail doesn't run. I feel like people are like "look at the weirdo going to the mailbox on a Sunday!" I know that's weird but I'm a weird girl, okay? So today I ran out in the pouring rain to get the mail and there was a Christmas card inside. I assumed it was from the old lady neighbor because she LOVES Alden and she even put up one of those "school crossing" signs in her yard because she was worried about people flying over the hill when we are going to the bus in the morning. But the card wasn't from her, and it wasn't from neighbor 1. It was from Hugsy (who I now know is JR) and his dogs Gidgit and Otis. He wrote a really sweet message and then "THANK YOU!" I got tears in my eyes. I immediately put it up with all our holiday cards in the kitchen but I've already taken it down twice and hugged it.
Sometimes people are amazing, sometimes people are wonderful, and sometimes people surprise you. I am not really a New Years resolution kind of person (these thighs are not going anywhere no matter HOW hard I try) but in the next year I am going to work really hard on not jumping to conclusions and assuming. However briefly it lasts my faith in humanity has been restored at least for a little while.
And now I'm off to watch "Dark Legacy" because nothing says Christmas like a tinfoil hat!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE!
So a few weeks ago someone tried to steal my car. I don't "know" any of my neighbors we just kind of wave at one another & smile but I then decided to let them know that they need to lock their cars. So I tugged on my boots and walked across the street. I told neighbor 1 about the saga & then asked if he thought the man next door (neighbor 2) was at home. I have always called neighbor 2 "creepy neighbor" because he sits outside a lot (even when it's snowing and raining and 6 AM) and I always just thought it was a little creepy that he was always lurking around outside staring and then waving at me. He never leaves his house and the only person I've ever seen at his house is neighbor 1. Then neighbor 1 says to let him talk to neighbor 2 because neighbor 2 has a severe drinking problem and he doesn't know what kind of day he's having.
This completely broke my heart. I have never in my entire life felt like a bigger asshole. He isn't creepy at all, he has a problem that he constantly struggles with and I rushed to judgement. I then decided to rename him "Hugsy" because I just wanted to run over and give him a hug. (In case it isn't obvious these names are only used in my head, I would never be like "WHAT'S UP HUGSY?!" because that would be really awkward.)
So once I started thinking about all the times I just kind of looked away and didn't say hi to him and the apparent lack of any human family (he does have 2 dogs that he is always playing with) I got really really sad. Thinking about someone who doesn't have any family to spend Christmas with makes me want to cry. I wanted to do something nice for Hugsy. I don't know how to cook and we don't exactly have any 'disposable income' especially during this time of year, so I decided to make him something. I remembered seeing a comic from Kate Leth a few days before that about a really simple pretzel candy recipe so I went back to her comic page (which is awesome and you should totally read) and found it. I made candy for neighbor 1 & his wife, Hugsy, and this little old lady neighbor who comes by now & then to talk about Alden because her grandson has developmental disabilities too.
I delivered the candy during the apocalypse just in case we didn't make it til Christmas (okay really I just knew that I was about to be too busy to remember to deliver it). I just stuck the candy in their mailboxes with a Christmas card that just said "to our neighbors, from the family in the little yellow house" because I don't know their real names.
I hadn't checked the mail since Friday because we had to go out of town on Saturday and I feel like a weirdo when I go get the mail from the week before on Sunday because the mail doesn't run. I feel like people are like "look at the weirdo going to the mailbox on a Sunday!" I know that's weird but I'm a weird girl, okay? So today I ran out in the pouring rain to get the mail and there was a Christmas card inside. I assumed it was from the old lady neighbor because she LOVES Alden and she even put up one of those "school crossing" signs in her yard because she was worried about people flying over the hill when we are going to the bus in the morning. But the card wasn't from her, and it wasn't from neighbor 1. It was from Hugsy (who I now know is JR) and his dogs Gidgit and Otis. He wrote a really sweet message and then "THANK YOU!" I got tears in my eyes. I immediately put it up with all our holiday cards in the kitchen but I've already taken it down twice and hugged it.
Sometimes people are amazing, sometimes people are wonderful, and sometimes people surprise you. I am not really a New Years resolution kind of person (these thighs are not going anywhere no matter HOW hard I try) but in the next year I am going to work really hard on not jumping to conclusions and assuming. However briefly it lasts my faith in humanity has been restored at least for a little while.
And now I'm off to watch "Dark Legacy" because nothing says Christmas like a tinfoil hat!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE!
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