The Grass is always greener..

I have a lawn boy. It sort of just happened. Up until now-- my way of doing the lawn and keeping it trimmed was to NOT water it so it didn't grow. This proved to be nothing less than making my house look like it belonged in a land far far away-- in a vortex of its own-- one I like to call Winslow. (sorry C.)
So my lawn boy appeared. He is the husband of my shortest friend. He showed up one day with a hedge trimmer, and started doing the front walk. I had not even met him at this point. I walked out with my hands in my back pockets and made mumbling noises about how I had no idea who he was and why he was whacking my dry, dead weeds.. but I loved him. Lucky for me, he is blessed with a sense of humor.
He trimmed, and cut both lawns. Then he came back the week after, did the same thing.. AND pulled all the weeds out of every place a weed thought about growing on my property.. all while still in uniform. Yesterday.. after the ball game, (see future blog) I came home to a tall man standing in my back yard, moving the swing set around to mow back there.
Right about here, my catholic guilt kicked in. I mean, I am not invalid.. I CAN actually do my lawn-- I just despise it with all the passion I can muster. So, I walked out, looked up (because my lawn boy is, in fact, a 6'4" Texan) and said- - "now-- you know I appreciate this more than words can say-- but you don't have to do it.".
Without a blink of an eye.. he said-- "we take care of our own".
I felt like someone punched me in the gut. I felt like I wanted to lay down and cry right there on the pavement. I still get tears in my eyes.
We Take Care of Our Own.
I am in a special group-- the one that refuses to ask for help-- but needs it desperately. And I guess, without knowing it-- my group attracts a different group-- the ones who don't need asking. I had the king of the 'don't need asking' standing in my yard, cutting my grass happily. With a smile on his face. And it occurred to me, that is one of the perks of being a deployed spouse. You get to see people in their truest colors. You cant hide it. Here stood a man, who up until a few months ago, couldn't pick me out of a line up. And now, he is one of my most trusted friends. In that sentence, he opened up a world where I finally don't have to be afraid to ask for help. His wife sends me over dinner, and calls to make sure I am ok when she doesn't see me at morning drop off. I should add here, these people don't know Rob-- have barely seen pictures of him..aren't even in the same branch. But what matters to them is that, we take care of our own.

I think we are all put in situations where we think they may need help but are unsure just how to do it. We might think they will find it offensive, or simply they might not want it. I know I have. But from right this second, I am going to follow the lead of my lawn boy-- and just do it. Because in the end, taking care of our own isn't about being a military person, a co worker, a church parishioner. Our own is all of us here. Our own walks among us day in and day out. And knowing what I know now-- I can't go back. I only hope I helped open up a window that others can see through as well.
So now, under orders of my friend, I am off to water my lawn-- because if he is going to keep showing up to cut it, it's only right I make sure it is bright and green and desperately needs it.