It’s not the easiest thing to find mow-tivation (the motivation to cut the grass, get it?), especially when it’s a lovely sunny day and your lawn mower is just a tad bit out of its league for the task at hand. You wouldn’t use a toothpick to eat a whole piece of lasagna, but it’s a good comparison to the small lawn mower this man got. Thankfully, many selfless neighbors brought forks and spoons to the party!
Strap in, this one’s quite wholesome. I can’t really think of any grass puns at the moment, but if you’ve got any, leave them in the comments below! Also, upvote the story to keep ‘em coming, and follow the author because it’s nice, and we’re here to read about nice things. Now, let’s run straight to the lawn!
Madison and Blake Mealy decided to move their young family to Virginia’s beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, but the country life would be one they’d need to get used to
Image credits: madisonmealy
No one is born knowing everything, especially when it comes to the twists and turns that life has to offer. Sometimes that twist is deciding what you want for breakfast that morning, another is dropping out of med school and moving to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.
The latter happened to the Mealy family. After Madison’s husband Blake decided to quit his studies after two and a half years to become a more present part of his young children’s lives, they were at a crossroads thinking ‘where should we plant the seeds for our family to grow up?’ And they found just the place - Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains! And although gorgeous, the place has a few tricks up its sleeves.
The simple task of mowing the lawn was no walk in the park, especially since Blake bought a lawn mower too small for the mighty task
Image credits: madisonmealy
The pair settled on a home with luscious large fields. However, being new to country living, they weren’t expecting the amount of effort it would take to mow it. Blake went out to buy a lawn mower, but without much experience in the field (hehe, nice pun there), he bought something more suitable for a town house’s lawn.
Madison filmed his efforts in taming the wilderness, with their youngest girl riding on his back. The push mower was struggling to handle the task and it was going to take hours. But Blake was determined to make use of the purchased mower, so he kept on going.
Image credits: madisonmealy
It was a task that could take hours of work, however, once neighbors took notice of the man’s struggle, they rushed in with their mowers to help
Image credits: madisonmealy
His wife took a shower in the meantime, and when she was done, she looked out the window to see how Blake was doing. To her surprise, he was no longer the only one on the lawn. In a heartwarming turn of events, a group of neighbors banded together, bringing their riding lawn mowers and other tech to help tame the yard.
Madison posted the video on TikTok, the captions reading: "We don't know any of these people. They drove by and saw my poor husband with his tiny mower, showed up and mowed the entire lawn for COMPLETE strangers. Reminder: there’s a lot of good left in this world.” She shared the video on her Instagram page as well, saying: “We need a small fleet of lawn mowers so we can do this for somebody else someday!”
Image credits: madisonmealy
The video quickly went viral with 18.6M views, many rejoicing at the goodness of humanity and empathy displayed. We can truly do amazing things when we band together! However, others were somewhat critical of their choice to mow the lawn in the first place.
So, the question stands - to mow or not to mow? Like 'Row Row Row Your Boat,' should you Mow Mow Mow your lawn? Okay, enough of dad jokes...
Better Homes & Gardens recommend mowing the grass less regularly, as the emissions from gas-powered mowers and trimmers contribute to air pollution and mowing over native grasses and wildflowers reduces the amount of potential nectar for pollinators. Letting native plants grow instead of mowing over them helps the local ecosystem thrive.
Together they got the job done and people who were strangers before, were united through one deed of goodness
Image credits: madisonmealy
“The sheer quantity of flowers and nectar production on lawns mown once a month can be astonishing,” Dr Trevor Dines, Plantlife's Botanical Specialist, explains. “We've discovered that plants like daisy, white clover and bird's-foot trefoil are superbly adapted to growing in shorter swords.”
However, Lawn Solutions believe it is important to mow the lawn regularly to maintain its health. A lawn that isn’t mowed regularly to the recommended height is often less healthy than a manicured lawn, with the grass more susceptible to disease, pests and weeds. Mowing your lawn encourages lateral growth, which helps it become thicker.
It’s unclear whether these get-togethers will continue or if the Mealy family will invest in larger equipment, but one thing is certain - this is hella wholesome
Image credits: madisonmealy
Whether you’re able to make the personal choice to either cut or leave your lawn as is, you must always consider the neighborhood laws in your community, as there may be a fine or two to pay if the rules aren’t followed. Other than that, it really is a matter of personal choice and circumstances.
Regardless of how you like your lawn, one thing is certain here - community spirit and neighborly love shine bright through the selfless act of helping.
You can watch the full video here
Let us know your thoughts on the story in the comments below, and I wish you a bright and sunny day!
People have loved this story, rejoicing in the kind nature of people. Leave us your thoughts and experiences with mowing the lawn in the comments!
