“You ran over my pecan tree.”

I drove the mower about ten feet to survey the damage.

A  broken twig stuck out of the ground. 

“Maybe you could put some bricks around it?”

“I’ll put a stake by it. It’ll grow back.”

I watched my disappointed husband walk across the lawn.  

Plants are therapy for him.

The sun was blinding.  I hurried to finish before sunset.

Trying to be helpful, I became a murderer.

About a month ago I destroyed a garden hose.  

Twenty minutes into mowing I felt raindrops.  Trees swayed and leaves circled in the street.  

Ominous clouds rolled in and I started panicking.

“KERRR  “CHRUH”.  Thud.

Pieces of garden hose shot from underneath the riding mower like bullets.

I shut off the mower.

“What is it?  

 I ran over your garden hose.  Chopped it up.”

“My good hose?”

Six months before I married my husband I’d never been on a riding mower.

After mowing the front yard my first time, I felt accomplished.   

I can handle this mowing thing!

Drove in a straight line.  Back and forth. 

I was helping my boyfriend.  He’d look over at me and smile.  

I sat on the mower for a break then it became clear to me there was a problem.

Why is the grass still tall? 

I hadn’t lowered the knob to let the blade down.  

Another Saturday I eagerly drove to his little town to help.

The mower engine started sounding weird.   The blade dug a trench behind me like a rototiller. 

“Um…Stephen, I think something’s wrong.”

He calmly drove the mower into the garage.  After fifteen minutes of beating it with a sledge hammer, it straightened from a ninety-degree angle bend. 

Running over the cast iron water meter proved to be hazardous.

He just smiled at me.

“That should take care of it.”

Daily life presents us with situations.

We choose how we respond to things that happen.

The way we respond has a positive or negative effect on others.

I’m glad my husband chose patience and kindness.

I’m gaining more confidence on that mower and you can be sure I’ll be extra careful next time!

Today I visited that little jagged stick at the end of the yard.

“Please grow little pecan tree.”

It’s worth a try!