Tell Me Something Good – Being Neighborly
hooray! it’s friday! even though i no longer have a traditional work schedule or work in an office setting, there is always excitement surrounding fridays nonetheless!
today’s ‘tell me something good’ is about our neighbors. when we first moved in to our new place 2 months ago, we introduced ourselves to our neighbors but they didn’t seem too keen on chatting – which is fine. we exchange friendly “hellos” with the man when we see him out walking his dogs or sitting on his porch but that’s about the extent.
earlier this week, i awoke to it snowing yet again and i was very grumbly about it. it was snow/sleet which means it drenches sugar’s lushes curls when i take her on a walk. plus, i’m still feeling some resentment towards the snow since it kept my husband from coming home over the weekend, which meant we had to go 12 days without seeing each other. thank goodness he came home late last night – yay!
so sugar and i are taking our little stroll at 6:30am and i am wearing my winter jacket, crazy workout pants and striped wool socks with my sperrys (photo above taken later in the day). i look like a 4 year old who finally won the fight to dress herself. that’s my best effort for rolling out of bed to take the dog out.
as we make our way back home, i pass the neighbor who is scraping off his car and mumble ‘hello’ with the grogginess of how i assume sleeping beauty sounds after awaking after so many years. he says ‘hi’ and then says “can i ask you something?”
i’ll let you in on how my brain works (which is something i’m continuing to work on): i immediately assume this is a roundabout way to tell me to not park in a certain spot, that he doesn’t like my dog or that my new hanging basket of flowers is annoying his eyesight.
instead he simply asks if we have a dining room table (yes) and if we would be interested in any high quality table clothes, napkins or placemats? i was totally floored and so pleasantly surprised. apparently he works at a fabric factory and he says they throw away tons of really nice linens and he would be happy to bring some home for us!
how nice is that?!
i played the conversation over and over again that whole morning and it put a huge smile on my face! what a kind gesture for him to extend to people he has only said ‘hello’ to a handful of times.
it was a great reminder to not pre-judge people or assume certain things. it also reminded me to go out of my way to try to brighten someone else’s day (which led me to buying my dad a pastry and coffee yesterday). small gestures go a long way!
oh and one more thing! i shared on my social media that my favorite/only tea bag holder fell out of the cabinet and shattered. i totally cried about it. it held lots of special memories from our 50 city speaking tour and visiting the mansions in newport, RI. then someone commented about where i can buy another one online! apparently my feed randomly showed up in her ‘popular posts’ and bam! thanks universe 🙂
with that – drop some good stuff on my lap that’s going on in your world! let’s spread the positivity!
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Elyse
April 22, 2016 at 6:02 am
What an awesome gesture and I’m so glad you could find a replacement tea bag holder!
I have an awesome neighbour story I wish I could post on my blog but alas I can’t yet, but a neighbour who we deemed “the fake stripper lady” because we didnt know her name and she looked like a pretentious fake lady who always has a scowl(we’re the worst) and I was bringing boxes home from work for our move and Andrew was supposed to be home by the time I got dropped off at our apartment but he wasn’t so I had to open the door and walk up 4 flights of stairs when this same lady opened the door for me and helped me take up the boxes 4 flights without complaining. Needless to say I brought her over one of my husbands famous lemon meringue pies because we felt like such jerks.
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Jennifer Haston
April 22, 2016 at 7:37 am
Elyse, I don’t know you.. but that is such a human story.. Thanks for sharing.. I know I have DEFINITELY judged someone and then had them show me.. yeah I am kind of awesome.. hopefully they never caught on to my silent judging…. Thanks for being vulnerable!
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:35 am
agreed jennifer!!!
chelsea recently posted…Your Voice Matters – (and Could Be Worth $1,000)!
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:35 am
thanks for sharing this elyse – i too am super guilty of the pre-judgy thing too and so appreciate your vulnerability as jennifer said. it’s so great when people pleasantly surprise you and it’s a good wake-up call for us to be like “oh i wonder why i had to go that thought-route in the first place” at least that’s what it does for me!
and um famous lemon meringue pie?! i’ll help you move boxes!!!
Jennifer Haston
April 22, 2016 at 6:26 am
Chelsea! what a great post! I love how in sync we are.. My tell me something good is about neighbors/co-workers too!! I am literally having that same moment with some co-workers. I won’t name names but there are a few people who in the past I was civil with but didn’t really make the effort to be “friendly” – I am friendly to all but this particular set of people just rubbed me the wrong way and then yesterday as we were chatting.. they spontaneously started talking about a great trip they had taken and we really connected. It’s ALL about the connections, right? I am trying hard to focus on the making of the effort and not the wasted time I spent “not trying” to build that bridge.
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:44 am
whoa we totally ARE in sync – jennifer! right you are that it is all about connections i am so glad you had that moment around travel together. glad you are focused on moving forward with that connection too jennifer – thank you for sharing!
chelsea recently posted…Your Voice Matters – (and Could Be Worth $1,000)!
Audrey
April 22, 2016 at 6:47 am
First of all, my brain tends to work just like yours 🙂 I’d have panicked about what I did wrong. Lol. Secondly, I love your description of how you dressed yourself! Haha!
What a sweet neighbor! 🙂 And how nice of you to pass on the good vibes! And I LOVE that teabag holder!! Haha!
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chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:56 am
oh man. he literally just came to the door and i KNOW he watched me run back and forth to find a sweatshirt to put on since i wasn’t wearing a bra. the outfits this man has seen me in – JEEEEEZ hahaha
Charlene
April 22, 2016 at 9:33 am
Aww both of these storied are so sweet! What a great neighbor and hooray for getting another “Votes for women” teabag holder!
Charlene recently posted…Understanding the Proverbs 31 Woman
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:57 am
i know! so so nice and he just came to deliver them – YAY! now to get to ordering that tea bag 🙂
Claire
April 22, 2016 at 5:24 pm
Good neighbors are the best! I just moved away from my neighbors/bowling team and that community was weighted heavily in the decision. I was terrified that all future neighbors would be awful, but the new one recently handed down an entire shed to me. I’m so happy other people are enjoying generous neighbors as well 🙂
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:58 am
oh wow i’m so glad you at least had that experience of such a strong community and it played into your decision of moving, claire! that’s really amazing. sounds like you found yourself some more good neighbors who come bearing sheds – hot dang!
Vivien
April 22, 2016 at 7:24 pm
Hurray for good neighbours and what a great gesture from your new neighbour! That gave me warm fuzzies!
Vivien recently posted…Power of the Positive
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 8:59 am
and he just delivered on that promise (though it did cause me to scramble since i wasn’t bearing a bra) hahah that could be a humorous speech!
chelsea recently posted…Your Voice Matters – (and Could Be Worth $1,000)!
Marilyn Jess
April 25, 2016 at 5:27 am
We have moved several times during our marriage, and good neighbors are one of the treasures of all those moves. Thank you, Chelsea, for reminding us of that once again. Your neighbor reached out to you–that is exactly what I do–make the first move, comment, etc, even if it’s “enjoy this fine day” to a stranger, as I did yesterday in a local coffee shop. You really never know how your kind words can affect another. The cosmetics guru Bobbi Brown said something to the effect that being nice is something we can all do, and it’s free.
chelsea
April 25, 2016 at 9:00 am
thank your for your comment, marilyn! it has inspired me to do more of the ‘reaching out first’ move (which so does not come naturally or comfortably for me) so thank you! so very true that being nice is something we all can do and costs us nothing!
chelsea recently posted…Your Voice Matters – (and Could Be Worth $1,000)!