Human Kindness @ Home Depot

There is one glimmering vestige of human kindness and consideration left. It is at a Home Depot store, over four hours from our ranch. Specifically, in a man named Clyde. And his lovely wife, Jen.

Clyde, an assistant manager at the Home Depot, knew about the situation with my washer. Ken, acting manager and Garden Dept. supervisor, and B.J., Appliance Supervisor, had told him all about it. I believe all of them were committed to helping me get a new washer.

Clyde loaded up a brand new washer (after checking to make sure IT wasn't dented) in his personal truck on his day off. He told his wife, "There's a lady who needs our help." And Clyde and his wife Jen drove down to the ranch, on Sunday. They drove over 263 miles one way to get here. And they were happy about doing it.

And then, when they arrived, Clyde helped Number One carry the washer into the house, into the laundry room, and installed it. AND tested it to be sure. Clyde and Number One then loaded up the Washer from HELL so Clyde could take it back to the store. Clyde's wife, Jen, was delightful, visiting with me and the boys and raving about the beauty of the drive and the ranch, telling me that her mom was watching their kids so they could do this. So nice.

She told me what Clyde said about us needing help, and she said, "We just had to do this for you. People just don't take care of each other any more!"

That statement is the exact one I have been saying recently, and I honestly don't know what happened in this world to make people stop helping and taking care of each other. But there is hope. There are still random sparkly specks of humanity--people who will go out of their way to help and take care of other people. Isn't that what life should be about?

Thank you, Clyde and Jen, for making our Sunday brighter, for accepting our offering of fresh pears, and for rescuing me from the pits of washer-less despair. And thank you to Ken, B.J., and everyone else behind the scenes who made this possible. I know where I'm shopping.