Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Angela Cutrer

Star Correspondent

Remember how you feel when you look out on your yard to enjoy the smell of newly mown grass? How you feel proud of your accomplishment and feel grateful to show off a job well done?

But what if you can’t do that activity anymore? Perhaps you’ve become disabled or too old to push that mower around or handle that weed cutter. Maybe you are the only parent in the home and you have so much on your plate already that you simply can’t add another task.

What then?

Luckily, you might know a kid like Carson Miller. He’s a local young man who has been on a mission to spread seeds of love through slicing seeds of grass. And this atypical project is one any youngster can take on.

The first step is just seeing what is mostly hidden behind doors sealed shut because of age, status or disability. Once that vision is clear, the next action could be joining a group like the one created by Rodney Smith Jr. to take care of lawns for those who can’t.

And do not expect anything in return.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But really – who cares about lawns choked with weeds or covered knee deep in snow? Well, the people inside the home who cannot do that physical work anymore – veterans, single parents, elders and the disabled – might care.

And that’s why Rodney Smith Jr. cares.

Smith, of Alabama, was a young boy himself when he took on caring for the yards of those who could not do it any longer. As described on Smith’s website, “Rodney Smith Jr. is not just a storyteller; he is a living testament to the transformative power of kindness.”

It was this spontaneous act that grew into Smith’s “Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service,” a nonprofit organization that has now motivated more than 5,000 kids to offer their services of mowing lawns, raking leaves and shoveling snow free to the elderly, disabled, single parents and veterans in cities across the country.

In his book called, “One Lawn at a Time, The Chronicles of Rodney’s Mission to Spread Kindness,” Smith discusses his reason for bringing this global movement of spreading kindness. It all began when he saw an elderly man in his community attempting to mow his own lawn. Smith said he realized then that this was something he could do for someone else, and his idea became the ‘“Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service.”

With a main goal of showing children they can make a huge difference in their own communities, Smith’s project has seen more than 5,000 children take up the mantle.

For free.

Carson Miller’s grandmother, Sheila Taylor, told us about her beloved grandson and the task he recently completed. She described a different boy from the one who first entered his teens within a bad crowd to come out on top as a super volunteer for the elderly and disabled in his community.

“I’m so proud of him,” Taylor said. “He’s a good Christian little boy who is now a super kid at 15.”

That “little boy” is how Taylor described Carson when pictured in the first photo of him taking on the Rodney Smith Jr. challenge to mow 50 yards for free. All participants start out with a white T-shirt, devoid of color except for the logo. Every milestone of mowing means a new T-shirt, each a more vibrant and colorful hue.

Smith said as the children progress through their 50-yard mission, they earn new colored shirts for every set of 10 lawns cared for: orange, green, blue, red and – ultimately – black. At the 50 lawns mowed mark, they also receive brand-new lawn care equipment that includes a new mower, a weed cutter and a blower. “It’s a rewarding challenge that builds character, skills and community spirit,” he said.

Carson’s final photo shows him in the coveted black T-shirt, his smile that of a young man no longer a boy.

Smith acknowledged Carson’s completion of the multistep program: “Congratulations, Carson, on completing the 50-yard challenge! Your dedication and hard work have made a tremendous impact not only in your community but also in the lives of those who witnessed your journey. You’ve shown what it means to step up, serve others, and spread kindness, one lawn at a time. Remember, ‘The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.’ Keep this spirit alive, and continue to inspire others with your generosity and determination.”

As Smith has said himself, “never doubt that you can make a difference in this world. YOU CAN!”

Smith travels to all 50 states to award those participating in the challenge, but he himself also continues to find yards to mow across the country, posting on Facebook how he is “honored” to mow a person’s yard for no compensation.

Carson learned that lesson well and now has his own paid business with a buddy. But they’ve also mowed 10 other yards for those needing help.

For free.

Taylor said she’s so blessed to have such a wonderful grandson. “He’s an old soul who’s been drinking coffee since he was 12 years old,” she said with a laugh. “He wants to fly Navy planes one day.

“I helped teach him how to do things and do it right the first time. He thought I was mean then, but I wanted to show him how important it was to do things correctly.

“Sharing his story is my gift to him – he doesn’t know about it – because I want him to know how much of an inspiration he is in showing all the things that can be done by just one person.”

To find out more, to view all the success stories and to sign up for the program, visit https://bit.ly/50yardsignup.