e-Newsletter | 05/28/2013

A recent letter in the mail reminded me that simple acts of kindness are usually those that leave the longest impression. Doing something that is not required and from the heart not only leaves that long impression with the other person, but it is also something that comes back to you with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Fortunately for me, I see these acts every day.

In July 2010, Milwaukee experienced a nine-inch storm that flooded our streets, overloaded our sewers, and caused extensive property damage. Following this storm, I attended many very emotional public meetings. I remember every one of these meetings, not so much the meetings themselves, but the stories people told.

Following one of these meetings, I received a phone call from an elderly woman who was crying. She told me how her husband had passed away; she was on a limited income, and every time it rained she worried about her sump pump failing and her basement flooding. She was a nervous wreck. I empathized for what she was going through, and I went to visit her. Long story short, I ended up buying her a rain barrel and delivered it to her house. I've never seen someone so happy; she wanted to bake me cookies! I did not take the cookies, but I told her that while the rain barrel would solve all her water problems, it might help. That was three years ago, and I have not spoken to her since.

The letter received was a handwritten letter from her thanking me again. The letter included newspaper articles she had clipped over the last three years when she saw my name in the paper. She does not have a lot, but she took the time to again thank me and let me know that she was watching all the great things that MMSD was doing. My single act of kindness had come back to me again.

What amazes me is that during a storm, when everyone is scrambling, I never hear MMSD personnel or Veolia Water's staff say, "My shift is over; I have to leave." They make sure the power is on, the pumps and gates are working, and the water samples are gathered. They work through the night making sure that people can worry less about their basements being wet. All these actions are acts of kindness that unfortunately go unnoticed. Their hard work and dedication improves everyone's lives, yet we never say thank you.

So, my THANK YOU goes out to all these people who never sleep when it rains, who jump out of bed in the middle of the night to take that phone call, and who work tirelessly to help everyone sleep a little easier when Mother Nature throws us a curve. I don't make very good cookies, but I appreciate what you do.

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

260 W. Seeboth Street | Milwaukee, WI 53204