I liken it to what goes around, comes around. Usually it’s a negative version as for years I’ve given without asking for anything and they’ve taken and when my mother was in hospice care no-one I had helped over the years would take care of my dog for the first time. They were all too busy. Four years of me taking care of everyone and when I asked once I was told no by all. That’s telling. I never “volunteered” for them again.
No-one ever paid me for this, it was supposed to be a barter system but it did not work in my favor. In a new city I’ve volunteered occasionally but was leery of what was to come.
We’ve two towers here and we lived in one with corporate furniture for three months and got to know our neighbors while we searched neighborhoods. Of course you know our old dog Zoe by now. We moved to the other tower with a view. Yesterday, a new neighbor’s brother questioned how we knew each other so well over a week. Answer was we knew each other years ago.
Last week they became our neighbors in South Tower. Their dog was scared and I knew he and Zoe got along so I took him in for a few hours. The next day my eye was bleeding so she insisted on taking me to the ER and stayed with me a while. I made her go home and took a taxi back because she had boxes to unpack. When I arrived home my dog was making herself at home over there so I took her out and we went to bed.
A week later I had eye surgery (today) and after resting a while they were moving the rest of their things in. I took their dog for another few hours. She took care of me and my eye. I took care of their dog, who is blind. Quid pro quo. Oh, I got them tulips as a welcome gift before all this happened.
There are good things and good people. They just need to be found. My friend M was kind to take me to surgery and back and she and her brother are going to come over for some delicious dinner and a bottle of private estate Tuscan wine I got for my birthday a few months ago.
I helped take care of their dog as he was dying. I’d walked him occasionally for a couple of years then we helped to lift him. He died at home. Now I take a cup of water, walk out to the park and pour it on a favorite tree of Jake and my friend Wurli. Now Jake’s “aunt” took me to the doc today. That’s how it goes. There’s no money involved. It’s heart, and if you don’t have it I won’t help you. Cheers! Dee
Cooking with Dee 