Sometimes life's lessons show up in the strangest places. Like your front lawn.
Our new neighbors have so graciously "shared" their lawn ornaments with us. First they placed the ducks and the deer so the kids could play with them, while Mike and I stood stunned and speechless on our front lawn. A week later we walked outside to find the large bird bath and cement bench placed on our little patch of suburban greenery.
Did I mention I gag every time I pull into the driveway?
I have had to do a lot of soul searching and reflection over these lawn ornaments. Why do they bother me so much? Why do they embarrass me? Why wasn't I able to speak up for myself?
But mainly, why do I care and why am I spending so much time thinking about lawn ornaments?
Since I have talked about this incessantly for 2 weeks, most people advise us to
a. talk to our neighbors and ask them to move them
b. make the lawn ornaments disappear at night
c. just move them back to their yard
We haven't and probably won't choose any of these options. Mike and I certainly want to foster a friendly, neighborly relationship - why wouldn't we? Being neighbors isn't just about waving as you pass, or sharing a stick of butter, it is about developing relationships with the people in your community. We want to model this for our kids and teach by example what it means to be a good neighbor. So, Ill keep the bird bath filled and plant my flowers around the ducks.
But, if you have a black ski mask and will be in the area in the middle of the night - let me know and Ill send you my address!
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