Happy Holidays from The Marla Schneider Team

I came across this story telling of a random act of kindness, and it just reminded me about the great villages we have here on the North Shore.

Although I don’t know where this true story took place, I can easily see it coming from one of our great communities, and it just made me remember that, although times are fast-paced, especially around the holidays, it’s important to take notice and help those around us.

This story comes from Eugene R. Gryniewicz and tells us of the kindness of his sons, Joshua and Christopher, and several of their friends.

"On a Saturday, several years ago, the boys were still in junior high school; they are in college now. After a snowfall of several inches, I asked my sons to take care of the walk in front of our house. "Shovel the steps and the sidewalk," I told them. "And the driveway would be nice..." but I really didn't expect them to exert that much effort. It was a Saturday, after all; there was no school, and some of their friends were planning on dropping by so they could all walk to the mall.

An hour passed, and it occurred to me to check on their progress. I had been holding their allowance monies ransom until the job was done, and I assumed they would want them for the arcade. Nothing. They were nowhere to be seen. The walk was done, and the steps ... and the driveway ... and, if shovel marks can own distinctive patterns, so were the driveways of our neighbors on either side of us.

I was curious, but not curious enough to worry about it. I assumed, simply, that they had wandered off for a bit. They were 'playing about' somewhere and would return or call in before lunch.

After another hour, though, my curiosity got the better of me. I pulled on my jacket and wandered casually down the street.

There were footprints. I picked out the tear in Christopher's right boot. I counted at least five pairs of feet, then began following the trail they made down our block. Three-quarters of the way to the corner, I noticed another driveway sporting some of the same shoveling patterns as my own and my neighbors; the driveway had been shoveled, and the walk, and the steps leading to the front door. There was no indication, however, that the group had approached the door first, in order to negotiate some sort of recompense. I looked back up the block at the tracks I had followed. I had assumed they were shoveling walks for additional spending money, but the trail led directly from our house to this one. It belonged, I remembered, to an elderly woman who spent all of her free time taking care of her nephew. He was an invalid, bed-ridden; she was a widow with no children of her own.

The trail continued from there around the corner. I followed. Two blocks. Another driveway, walk and steps. Another block. Another house. Another set of footprints had joined their group. Again, there seemed a certain determination to their stride; they weren't going from door to door, as one might have expected. The group was purposefully selecting certain houses and shoveling them out. And moving on.

I surrendered at that point and returned home. I waited. Around one o'clock, Josh and Chris rang the bell. I invited them in and their friends -- there were eight in all -- for hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls. I asked no questions. Made no sign that I had followed them. When I handed them their allowance, one of their friends handed me one of the notes they had been leaving at the scene of each 'crime' they had committed. It read:

Your walk has been shoveled by the Christmas Elves. There is no need to thank us. Do something nice for someone this week. Merry Christmas. The Elves."

I have frequented many neighborhoods and sold many houses on the North Shore for my clients and I cannot help but smile knowing that this could have happened in any of the great villages here on the North Shore.

From everyone here at The Marla Schneider Team, we wish you and your families a very safe and happy holiday season!