I am beginning to get a complex. Does a good deed still count if you are thwarted in your efforts? This seems to have been the theme of these last days.
Exhibit 1 - During a very nasty, windy rainstorm my plan was to stop on my way home from work to put gas in the car so my husband wouldn't worry about running out when he took it later that night. I am much more familiar with the gas gauge on the car and how far you can drive when it looks like it's empty. He usually drives a truck which when the gauge shows empty, you're in trouble. So, even though I knew he would have enough , I didn't want him to stress about it. BUT - the gas station had all it's pumps roped off, all 12 of them!
No gas getting for me. I did, however, reassure him he would not run out of gas that night.
Exhibit 2 - I have a dear friend who lives far away who is ill. Although I had just talked to her, my plan was to call her the very next day and see how she was feeling. BUT - she called me literally moments before I was going to pick up the phone to call her.
I still got to check on her, but didn't get to be the one who made the gesture first.
Exhibit 3 - A young mom who lives nearby had a baby in November. Their were complications and the baby only lived four days. I offered my condolences and help at the time, but held off getting flowers. I intentionally waited until today to do that. I know things can get even harder in a situation like hers once all the family has left and the friends and neighbors aren't bringing in dinners anymore. Two or three months out it can seem like everyone has gone on with their lives while you're still stuck wondering if you can ever move again. I wanted her to know that someone, who's not a family member, is still thinking of and praying for her and her family, so today I wrote her a note and got the flowers. BUT - when I went to deliver them no one was home.
Of course, I'll deliver them tomorrow, but seriously. Three strikes, just like that. Come on.
COST - $10.81 for the flowers. Nothing for the other two.
EFFORT - Not as much as it would have been had I been successful. : P
TIME - Ditto the EFFORT comment.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? - Maybe a better question today is WOULD I DO IT STILL, since the flowers are sitting on my counter, not hers. The answer to that is obviously yes.
Wish me better luck tomorrow. I've been planning to have a 'compliment everyone' day. Perhaps I should do that. Nothing could go wrong with that, right? Right?
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