don't help yourself.

Every Saturday morning, Nate comes over for turkey bacon and eggs. Around 10, Nate headed out to help get some things done at the church, so I went out and braved the camel crickets to pull the lawnmower out of the shed and get started on the yard. I finished the backyard and was just starting on the front when my neighbor Kevin waved at me. I stopped the mower and walked past the hedge.

"Did I do something wrong?"

What? As Kevin and I talked, he confessed that he was really insulted when he heard Nate's dad was buying us a lawnmower. He thought he had done something wrong, and that I didn't want him to mow my yard anymore.

Kevin has a huge riding mower called a Bad Boy, and he starts in his yard and mows several of the yards on our block. I'm pretty sure he loves it. So even though we thought we were doing Kevin a favor by taking care of our own yard, he felt really bad that he didn't get to mow my yard anymore. I assured him I was greatly appreciative when he mowed, and he said, "Well, you don't worry about it after today." Deal.

I had no idea that for the last two months Kevin felt this way. I'm so glad he spoke up! Some people just really like helping out, so to deny them the opportunity doesn't do them a favor at all. Kevin is mowing my yard the rest of the summer. I'm staying out of the heat and avoiding mosquitoes and a bad tan. Win-win.