Guideposts – August 2019

10 GUIDEPOSTS (^) | August 2019
ILL
US
TR
AT
IO
NS
BY
CO
CO
M
AS
UD
A
SIT AND REST
M
y husband, Joe, and I
got a great house-
warming gift from my
brother: He built us a
wooden bench for
our porch. We
live on a hill
that over-
looks a river
and walking
path. Joe
and I decided
the bench
would get more
use next to the
path. We were right—we could see
how glad people were to have a place
to sit and rest.
The next year, Joe and I added a
lidded trash can so folks who wanted
to enjoy a snack while they sat
wouldn’t have to carry away their
garbage. The year after that, we put
out a small cooler of water bottles,
along with a large metal dog bowl for
the dog days of summer.
If visitors see us working in our
rock garden, they shout out their
thanks. But our favorite form of
appreciation comes in the form of
licks and nuzzles. We can’t have dogs
of our own because of allergies, so we
are more than happy to accept the
love of furry friends passing through.
MARILYN DELISLE STRUBE
Reed City, Michigan
THANKS ALL AROUND
“L
et’s find Cinderella!” my four-
year-old granddaughter said
during a recent trip to Walt Disney
World. She ran ahead, then promptly
fell and skinned her knee. Before I
knew it, a cast member—Disneyspeak
for “employee”—appeared with some
ice, a slushie and a colorful marsh-
mallow treat. “Thank you,” I said. But
it didn’t seem enough. Good thing I’d
come prepared with tiny note cards,
on which I’d printed “thank you for
making our day magical.”
I’d gotten the idea when I was at
our grocery store back home, and a
checker was so helpful, I told the
manager. That really brightened the
checker’s day too! Since then my
husband and I have made a point of
recognizing those people who go out
SOMEONE CARES
PASS IT ON