32-year-old carpenter fixes her older neighbor’s broken fence secretly at night so he won’t feel embarrassed just for others in the neighborhood to criticize her actions: ‘I didn’t do it for credit; I just wanted him to feel capable and happy’

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  • AITA for secretly fixing my neighbor’s broken fence every night because I didn’t want to embarrass him?

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  • So, I (32F) live next to an older gentleman, probably in his late 70s. He's super kind but very proud, the kind of person who insists on mowing his lawn even when his back clearly hurts.
  • A few weeks ago, a storm knocked part of his wooden fence down. I noticed him trying to fix it multiple times, but the panels kept falling because the wood was too weak.
  • I work as a carpenter, so after seeing him struggle for a few days, I decided to help, secretly.
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  • At night, after he went inside, I brought my tools over and reinforced the posts, replaced a few rotted boards I had lying around, and gave it a proper repair.
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  • The next morning, I saw him outside, completely amazed, running his hands over the fence, smiling like a little kid.
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  • He told me, "I must've done a better job than I thought last night!" and I just smiled and said, "Looks great, Mr.
  • H!" A few days later, he told our neighborhood group chat that "someone up there" must've helped him because the fence looked brand new, and I still didn't say anything.
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  • But now, a couple of people are saying it's dishonest not to tell him, that he might feel patronized if he ever finds out.
  • I didn't do it for credit; I just wanted him to feel capable and happy. So, AITA for secretly fixing his fence instead of telling him I did it?
  • MovieLazy6576 NTA. I wouldn't tell anyone else what you did though.
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  • Far-Ad1450 NTA Your act shows kindness and understanding. He may already suspect you helped, but by keeping quiet, you have allowed him to maintain his dignity. Don't let your less generous neighbors make you feel bad about what you did.
  • kmflushing Ignore the meanies. Your neighbor was happy. You did good. NTA.
  • Bodacious Vermin Hey, the Fence Fairy is like Santa, and keeps her secrets to herself. You're NTA.
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  • LadyMittensOfTheLake NTA, but if you didn't want him to find out, you shouldn't have told anyone. You lose control of information the second you share it.
  • venturebirdday You are a gem. Thanks for looking out for another. I hope something good happens for you today.
  • Dragon_Star99 Kindness is never an issue. The problem is the people who over think it and want to tear you down.
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  • PrincessCharmi That's actually one of the sweetest "sneaky good deeds" I've read. You spared his pride, gave him his dignity, and kept his fence standing. Unless you're out here carving "Property of OP" into the boards, there's zero harm
  • haramia13 It was the carpenter elves. Don't say anything.
  • No-Air-3401 NTA. Are these people jealous because you won't fix their fences for free? Do they just hate when people do something good for no other reason than being able to? And in case he asks, deny, deny, deny.
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