This yard, which belonged to an elderly woman, was very neglected. She hadn’t been outside for a long time, as far as I knew.

When spring came and the snow melted, the yard became filthy, ruining the look of our neighborhood.

I met up with my friends daily to walk to the park and play basketball, but one day, I couldn’t stand seeing that messy yard anymore.

“You guys go ahead. I really can’t stand seeing this yard dirty,” I told them. They laughed and asked if I was serious. But I was. I couldn’t take it anymore.

So, while my friends went to the park, I went home and got my tools: a rake, a shovel, and other gardening stuff. It took me the entire afternoon to clear the yard.

I scraped the melting snow, swept the leaves, and trimmed the bushes.

When I finished, I hesitated to ring the doorbell. I knew the old lady, Abigail, lived there alone, with a caregiver visiting her every other day. I didn’t want to intrude.

The next morning, I woke up to a noise at my window. Looking out, I saw all my neighbors gathered at my house. I immediately thought I had done something wrong. Gathering all my courage, I went out to face them.

To my surprise, they were all smiling. Abigail was there, too, in her wheelchair. She reached out and touched my hand. “Thank you for helping me clean my yard. You are heaven-sent!” she said.

Other neighbors chimed in, thanking me, too. “You helped Abigail out when none of us did. Thank you for reminding us to be mindful of what other people are going through,” one of them said.

They handed me pastries, fruits, and a huge pie as gifts.

Ever since that day, our street always remained clean and the yards well-groomed. The neighbors declared every Sunday afternoon “neighbor day,” when we would gather on the road and help each other out.

I had no idea how things would turn out when I decided to clean that yard. But now, I’m glad I did.