The Garbage Cans and the Reindeer

For the last two Thursday mornings I have promised my elderly landlady that I will drag the heavy trash cans to the curb for her. Both times, some other neighbor has already done it for her by the time I leave the house at 7:45 AM.

My next door neighbor has two electronically moving lighted reindeer in his tiny front yard (gotta love Astoria at Christmas time!) The reindeer frequently blow over in the wind, and lie pathetically on their sides feebly moving their heads from side to side, unable to get up. My 10 year old son considers it his sacred duty to climb over the fence and carefully restore the poor things to an upright position. No words are spoken about it, no one sees him do it but me; he just does it, and comes back to our door dusting his hands, full of well being and satisfaction.