Sandbox Kindness

So yeah, the DC metro area is getting slammed with snow.  It is, in my humble opinion, fabulous!  And it really does bring out the best in some people!!

Local hardware and grocery stores (and liquor stores!) have been super busy the last few days with people preparing to “hunker down” and ride out the blizzard. 

Longest line ever at a local Trader Joe's 2 days before the storm

Lots of things were sold out – bananas (??), milk, bread, eggs…  And apparently, SALT.  Not salt for eating, but ice melt salt for steps and sidewalks.  So when I saw this Facebook post in a neighborhood group yesterday, it made me smile:

       “Since there is no more ice melt to be had, we are opening up our full sandbox!   
        Anyone who would like to come by with a bucket and fill up, you are welcome to do so 
        now (address redacted for this blog J ). Come up the driveway to the backyard,
        sandbox is next to deck and covered. Just put cover back please.”

Talk about sweet neighbors!!!  And, like so many gestures of kindness, it was not DIFFICULT, not EXPENSIVE, just KIND!!

When I finished work for the day we set off to meet these neighbors and ask them about their kindness.  We walked half a mile in the snow (which was really fun!) and found their house.  I knocked on the door and was greeted by Harold who explained that the sand box was in the back and we were free to take as much as we needed!  Other neighbors had stopped by before us to avail themselves of this sweet gesture. 

Harold and Janet, the sandbox owners, didn’t want their photo taken, but David didn’t mind if I snapped a couple photos of him while he unburied the sandbox and put some sand in our beach bucket.   On our hike back home we passed some other walkers and David, beach bucket in hand, said we were looking for the shore.  Like many of his jokes, the recipients didn’t get it…  Oh well, I thought it was funny!

Photo is a bit blurry, but it was getting dark and cold out!!  David prepares to put some sand in his purple bucket.

Such a kind gesture - to share sand!

KEEP UP THE KINDNESS, folks.  It really does make the world a happier, more livable place.  If you see, receive, or do an act of kindness, please tell me about it so I can dub you a KINDNESS ACTIVIST and you can proudly sport your “kindness activist” button!  Email me at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com

Me when we got back from our walk - the roads were EMPTY (which is unusual in this neighborhood)