Keeping Our Heads Above Water - Chapter 8

January 5, 2016

This is Raymond, the dumpster guy.

When he first brought the dumpster out a week ago, he dropped it in our driveway...got out of his truck...looked at the disaster called the Etheridge House....took off his hat....and I swear I saw tears forming in his eyes.   He grabbed me, hugged me and whispered in my ear, "I am SO sorry."

I've never met this man before.

Yesterday, Item #58 on my list of things to do included calling Raymond to come empty the dumpster.  It was completely full of sheet rock, water-logged furniture and junk. 

Our neighbors on either side of us whose garages also flooded, had come down over the weekend and cut their sheet rock to allow their walls to dry out and breathe and we were all using Raymond's dumpster to hold it all.

For some reason, I thought we had one FREE dump with the monthly use of this dumpster.....I'm pretty sure I got that idea from my husband who told me that to soften the financial blow to my brain.  So I was shocked when Raymond said it costs $350 every time he brings a new dumpster out.  I paused....and prayed.  And as I started to negotiate with him, he said, "It's been taken care of, Liz.  You don't owe for this dump."  He went on to say, "Your neighbor Pat Sayers called me this morning and paid for it.  You don't owe anything."  I could barely tell Raymond "Goodbye" cause I was crying...again.  I was so overwhelmed and grateful by the generosity of my neighbor, who used a fraction of this dumpster for her garage sheet rock, that I just could do nothing but give thanks.

And friends, there have been many Pat Sayers' this past week in our lives.....doing random acts of kindness for us.  A dumpster charge may not sound like much to you, but its EVERYTHING to me.

And I will continue counting my blessings....just as I have every day.....for people whose lives have intersected with ours for such a time as this......like Becky, Mary Lee, Kathy and Phyllis who rolled up their sleeves yesterday and tackled a nasty garage in the cold on January 4 because they love.  They love BIG.