Contributing to Each Other

Out here in the country, we have been learning how people contribute to each other’s welfare.

We have received advice from more experienced beekeepers.

We have received the attention of the local volunteer fire department.

We have had a conversation and demonstration of a portable saw mill by an experienced owner who has it for sale.

We have received a “jump” for our truck battery when it died.

We have received the most beautiful and complete and meticulous mowing of our meadow in the whole eight years we have come out here.

We have received recognition “in town” from people we have just met when we run into them there.

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And we have contributed.

We attended a local beekeepers meeting.

We followed advice on how to control an infestation of wax moths (burn up the hive).

We met the self-effacing volunteer fire department when a breeze caused the fire to get out of hand.  We look forward to contributing to their next social gathering.

We gave an amazing man the opportunity to demonstrate his impeccable care and improvements on his portable saw mill, plus walk us through the restoration of his “show cars”.  We saw the cars in meticulous detail, and got to appreciate the hundreds of trophies he has won.  We met his wife and saw her wonderful decorative beadwork.  We traded stories of raising large families.

We met a wonderful woman across the road at the next farm who came to give our truck battery a jump and learned about her fostering of children.  We look forward to taking over some of our homemade apricot jam the next time we drive by.

We are delighted to have met the family of the man who is doing mowing for us, and look forward to a longer term relationship with him and them.

We enjoyed our conversations with our new acquaintances when we ran into them “in town”.

There are lots of little ways we are all interacting and contributing to one another.

It is a peaceful and supportive way to live.

© 2013 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com