Once upon a time, there was a porch on a house in the Grant Beach neighborhood. This house had a lot of character and was a well-known landmark in the neighborhood. It was painted pink and blue and yellow. This tale isn’t about that, though.

One summer evening, there was a meeting that took place on that porch. A dozen or so people gathered to discuss important matters, the topic of which has no bearing on this tale. As people arrived, they were cautioned to walk carefully up the stairs to avoid the place where the boards had given way to weather and the many feet that had tread there.

Lori and Peggy were both there on the porch and they saw the gaping hole at the top of the stairs. A planter had been placed over the hole as a warning to anyone who might accidentally step through the porch. It was obviously unsafe and unsightly.

Fixing a hole in a porch big enough to hold a meeting on is no small task, though. Doing the job right would be even more difficult and require some time and skill. Lori and Peggy are both the kind of women that have done jobs that required these skills and they knew they could make this repair. Peggy had once been a master carpenter and Lori had done her fair share of carpentry over the years. Together, they decided to give the porch a much-needed repair and help their friend Pauletta. They didn’t do it because they had to do it, but because it is what neighbors do for each other.

So the planning and debating began. How much porch to replace, where to get the boards, what kind of screws to use and what tools would be needed were all cussed and discussed until an agreement was reached.

Of course, with any project there is a little trial and error involved. The old boards were pulled up carefully, the measurements taken and the new boards were bought. Over a period of several weeks between rainy days, busy days, tired days and under-the-weather days, finally the day arrived when the last screw was put in place, the sealant applied and the porch was declared done.

In honor of the porch repair, Pauletta had a sign made that will sit on her porch.

The sign reads:

Peggy and Lori SAW a problem and took MEASURES to correct it with a BIT of patience and love, SEALING our friendship for life.

I share this tale not because it is a tall tale or a cautionary tale, but because it is meant to be an Inspirational tale.

We all have skills and we all have neighbors. Don’t be afraid to offer your skills to your neighbors when you see they need a hand. Maybe you can’t fix a hole in a porch but you can offer to mow a yard, move a pile of brush, plant a row of flowers, chase down the dog – any number of small things that make being a Grant Beach resident extra special! Be the change you want to see in our neighborhood. This tale is proof that it works!