Fuming myself, I decided to take down the lights to avoid further conflict, especially for Lily’s sake.
Later that evening, as I was removing the lights, Lily came outside. “Mom, why are you taking them down?” she asked, confused.
I knelt beside her and hugged her. “Sweetheart, Meredith isn’t happy with the lights, so we’re taking them down for now. But we’ll put up even better ones soon, okay? Maybe some that look like little stars.”
Lily nodded, though she was clearly upset.
We went to bed thinking that would be the end of it, but we had no idea how quickly things would change.
The next morning, I was jolted awake by loud banging on the front door. I groggily went downstairs and was stunned to see Meredith—looking disheveled, with messy hair and wearing what appeared to be pajamas.
I opened the door, surprised. Without a greeting, she demanded, “Put those solar lights back up IMMEDIATELY! My yard is ruined!”
I was flabbergasted. Just yesterday, she had threatened to involve authorities if I didn’t take the lights down. Now she was demanding they be put back. What was going on?
“Meredith, you insisted we take them down,” I said, confused.
“That was a mistake!” she exclaimed.
She explained that without the lights, raccoons from the nearby forest had ravaged her garden, destroying her expensive plants. “I was too scared to go outside and chase them off,” she admitted, distressed.
I listened with a neutral expression. When she finally stopped speaking, I smirked slightly and said, “I told you those lights served a purpose.”
Meredith’s eyes welled with tears as she pleaded, “Please, put the lights back up. And could you help me clean up the mess in my yard?”
Even in her desperation, she still had an underlying sense of entitlement, as if it was my fault and I should help her out.
But I had reached my limit. I looked her in the eye and said, “I’m sorry, Meredith, but that’s not really my problem. You made it clear you didn’t want the lights. I suggest you call a professional for your yard.”
“But…”
“I hope your garden gets sorted out soon,” I said with a smile. “Have a nice day.”
And with that, I closed the door.
Over the next few weeks, Meredith spent a fortune restoring her garden, while Lily and I happily reinstalled our solar lights, adding a few extra for good measure.
This experience taught me that karma really does have a way of evening things out. Meredith wanted those lights gone, and she got exactly what she asked for—just with a little extra twist.
So, what would you have done in my situation?