Neighborhood Cleanup!

Every year I am the skeptic, but every year I am turned into a believer. My ward sponsors a neighborhood cleanup day each year in May! Why am I such a skeptic? Because I don't ever think there is much enthusiasm for the labor involved in cleaning up the neighborhood. But each year I come away believing in the concept more and more. But what is so great about it? We are spending all day out in the sun, weeding gardens, mowing lawns, dragging tree branches. It isn't light work. But, I always come away a believer because we get to rub shoulders with wonderful people in the neighborhood. We get to see what it means to people to have work done that they are not able to do themselves. We are forging bonds with each other that creates a closer knit community. This year I once again spent time with the young women. Their enthusiasm and willingness to just jump in and do a job I didn't think they would want to do spilled over into me. It is hard not to be enthusiastic about a project when surrounded by enthusiastic people!