Be Kind Anyway

I often reflect on the poem St. Mother Teresa kept on the wall of one of her orphanages in India. It is entitled “Anyway”. You can google and read it. The poem speaks of one’s love for God and showing that love in helping each other.

Three verses speak of helping others, even when they do not recognize it:

“…If you are kind, people may accuse you of an ulterior motive, be kind anyway…

…Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough, give your best anyway…

…For you see in the end, it is between you and God, it never was between you and them anyway”.

We have nice neighbors that live on either side of our house in Dyer. Both keep their yards in nice condition, never are loud or create an unfriendly environment. Both seem to be genuinely kind and good people. On one side though, the neighbors keep to themselves, never saying hello unless you make it a point to say hello first, and then never continue the conversation beyond such simple greetings. The other neighbors are very cordial and outgoing.

Last Wednesday, I noticed one of the wood planks in the fence between my backyard and the backyard of the quiet couple became dislodged and was sitting in that couple’s backyard with nails sticking up into the air. This could cause either our neighbors or their dogs to suffer a puncture wound if they inadvertently stepped on it.

I quickly picked up a hammer and some nails and ran to the neighbor’s house to ask their permission to enter their locked backyard to fix the fence. Even though their cars were in the driveway and their dog was just in their backyard, no one would answer my knocking on their door.

So, I took one extension ladder from my garage and put it up on my side of the fence and then placed a second extension ladder on the inside of the neighbor’s side of the fence, then quickly trans versed the two ladders, entered the neighbor’s backyard, and then I repaired the fence. I am not even sure the neighbor knew what was done.

When I told my wife what had happened, I simply shook my head, but then I was reminded of St. Mother Teresa’s poem.

I tell you this not to draw attention to myself. I believe God calls each of us do such things often, showing His love through simple actions often, without any attention or recognition. Yet God knows when we do it and that is all that counts. When we hear such calls, let’s help anyway.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek