Day #3.28 - Sunday, September 16th, 2012

An interesting turn of events ...

So if you've been following my blog, or listening to my rants in class, you know I've been more than a little frustrated by my neighbors.  This frustration started in May of 2005 - the day I moved into my new house.  The house I bought is a duplex - a house split in two.  I own the side on the right next to the neighbor who sold me the house, and Linda owns the side on the left.  Linda and her two grown children moved in the day before I did.  And when I pulled into my yard with a truck full of my stuff to move in, I couldn't even open the door on my back porch because it was full of her junk ... and my shed was crammed full of her crap as well.  This type of inconsiderate thinking has been going on for 7 years.  It stopped for a good 8 months this past fall and winter when no one was living there.  The drama is hard to keep up with, but for about a year now, Jason, one of the "adult" children, has been living there with his son.  I think the house was empty because he ended up in rehab.  While he recovered, I coveted the peace and quiet.  But as always, all good things must come to an end, and late this spring, I drove up and saw Linda cleaning the front porch.  The inconsiderate violations of my space were an immediate and common occurrence.  My neighbor Wayne, who sold me the house, lives to my right and he tries to make up for the fact that he sold my adjoining walls to the most inconsiderate people on earth.  Most of the time it works.  That is until Monday, when I came outside to find a shed sitting in my parking space.  Wayne was through too.  He approached Jason about the shed and even though Wayne stayed patient and calm, Jason lost his cool.  When the conversation ended, Jason went in the house, called his mom and soon Linda was at Wayne's door providing the neighborhood with nothing less than top-notch Jerry Springer entertainment.

It didn't take long for my name to get fired into the mix and soon I was called things and accused of things I have only seen and heard on TV.  I don't keep company that brings drama to my life but since I didn't get to choose my neighbors, I got the luck of the draw - and the odds were NOT in my favor.  Well, I was furious for days - thinking about what I would do and say if I ran into her.  But in reality she isn't around much so I got to calm down before I did run into her.  And as luck would have it, I had Ebe and Anita with me when I spied her on  the front porch.  I didn't want to subject them to the white trash dialogue that was sure to ensue so I left well enough alone and didn't engage.  BUT on Sunday when I was doing some shopping at our new 24 hour Hampstead Walmart, I almost walked right into her.  I wish I would have had the guts to say all the things that I've rehearsed in my head, but instead I smiled and said, "Hello Linda."

I walked away with mixed emotions.  I was relieved I didn't start a scene in the middle of Walmart, and I was proud that I didn't stoop to her level.  But I was left feeling frustrated that I didn't get to confront her about all the hurtful and wrong things she said about me.  Little did I know my chance was coming ...

I had been home for about 30 minutes and I was still in the kitchen putting groceries away and unpacking from our trip to Penn.  I heard the back door to my porch open and I was thinking - who could that be?  The only people who just come in my back door are my ex-husband and Kurt.  I wasn't expecting either one of them so I stopped dead in my tracks when I went out to see who it was and found myself face to face with Linda for the second time in two hours.  She handed me a card and said, "I went to church this morning and couldn't stop thinking about how bad I feel.  God doesn't want me to act ugly and I know that's how I acted last week.  Please know that what the card says is from my heart.  I really am sorry."

I was speechless.  But then I smiled and said, "Thank you Linda.  This means a lot.  I heard you said some not so nice things about me and I was hurt.  I really do appreciate your apology and this kind gesture."

"Well it's been weighing on me all week and when I saw you in Walmart I knew what I needed to do."

"God works in funny ways doesn't He?  Thanks again Linda."  And she walked out.

The card is my photo and inside it reads:

Jody,

I am trying to go to church and lieve right and I want you to know how sorry I am I acted very ugley and mean, and, I know God does not want me to act like that, agane I am sorry please forgive me I was wrong, I have felt bad so I needed to say I was wrong, I do want people to know I lieve for God and I did not act as he would of wanted me too.  Agane sorry.

Cody was reading it over my shoulder and started making fun of her spelling and grammar.  I sat him down and we had a good 10 minute conversation about things that matter:  humility, acceptance, forgiveness, education, pride, patience and love.  God wants us to love our neighbors.  I have been struggling with this commandment since May of 2005.   Today I was humbled by the woman I have cursed under my breath time and time again.  Her heart-felt act of contrition was divinely ordained and I will pray that God softens my heart towards her and her family.