A Black Jacket and a Bathrobe

The other day, I was walking with a friend when one of my neighbors ran out her front door.

“What size top do you wear?” 

“Me?” I asked, confused. 

“Yes, you!” she said. 

“XS?!” I said, still confused. 

“Okay, great. Stay right there!” she said. 

She ran back into her house, and reappeared a moment later with a black windbreaker on a pink hanger. “Here, this is for you!” 

“We sell on eBay,” she continued, “but for some reason we couldn't sell this, and it seems way too nice to donate. I want you to have it!” 

I thanked her several times, still slightly stunned by the interaction, and here's why. 

Three years ago, this very same neighbor came running out her front door in her leopard print bathrobe around 10 am on a weekday morning, but not to offer me a jacket. 

She was very upset about the small concrete pour that we were doing at our house, and the fact that the concrete trucks were out front “in the 7s.” It had been my first time meeting her, and let's just say, I didn't receive the friendliest initial “hello.” 

Following the bathrobe incident, I took her cookies and a note to apologize for the disruption to her morning.

The following Christmas, I received a box of her homemade holiday goodies. 

Now, three years later, she frequently asks about our daughter, stops me to tell me bits of neighborhood history (or gossip), and has gifted me a jacket. 

I share this story as a reminder that things can change, people can change their minds, and relationships can evolve.

On my end, I apologized, even though we were within the allowable window for residential work to begin. The work still disrupted her morning, and for that I was sorry. 

On her end, she was willing to move on and also expand her perspective, as someone who can be skeptical of newcomers to the neighborhood. 

So, today's inquiry is: 

Where might there be an opportunity for something to change for the better, or for a relationship to evolve in a positive way?

And, what is one small thing I could do to make this possible? 

Feel free to reply and share, if you'd like. 

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