Her garden was so beautiful that it stopped visitors cold, and her house was always immaculate.
She was the type of person who would offer a pie and freshly made cookies to guests.
Although there was a tinge of rivalry between her and her neighbor Nancy, she loved everyone and her reputation meant the world to her.
However, it wasn’t a rivalry that could lead to miscommunications or fraud.
As a matter of fact, it encouraged them to become even better people.
Nancy once dropped by while Julia was working in her garden.
Julia wasn’t in the mood to respond when Nancy made a subtle comment about her garden.
When Julia opened up about the challenging period her family was going through, Nancy began to question whether everything was well.
Nancy, my mother will be staying at my house for a while because she and my father got divorced.
“You know, until she makes a decision,” Julia clarified.
Nancy answered, “Oh, Julia, you are a wonderful person, and your mom is lucky to have you.”
Additionally, the deep growl of a Harley’s engine interrupted the two as they were conversing.
“What’s happening, and who might that be?” Nancy inquired.
The Harley stopped directly in front of the two neighbors, who watched.
A woman wearing a leather jacket said, “Hey, Julia.”
“Mom!” Julia was taken aback.
“What is this?
Why are you riding a motorcycle?
But Julia insisted that she enter the house before her mother, Rachel, could respond.
Julia was furious at the time.
She believed that someone was ruining her reputation.
“Oh, mom, what will my neighbors say?
That my 63-year-old divorced mom became a motorcyclist all of a sudden?
Please get rid of that Harley.”
Rachel’s expression darkened.
“You know what Julia?” she said.
“My entire life, I’ve tried to please everyone around me and project the ideal image of the housewife, mother, and wife.
I’ve never had time for my happiness and for myself.
And now…
I’m at last free now.
“You see, after the divorce, I felt like I had no purpose in life because, up until that point, my goal was to please your father and everyone around me.” Your father had met someone else.
Julia recognized her mother’s pain.
After living her entire life doing only what other people thought was right, that motorcycle was her means of experiencing freedom.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Julia said.
“I shouldn’t have behaved in that manner.
I want you to know that neither your Harley nor your appearance shame me.
At last, Rachel began to live her life as she saw fit.
Additionally, it was freeing for Julia as well as for her.
For some reason, she no longer felt the need to be the ideal neighbor that everyone looked up to.
She realized that, like her mother, she could take some time for herself and that it’s okay for the garden to not always look flawless.
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