Neighbors

I remember a conversation I had with a friend who warned me about getting too close to neighbors because problems might arise, and the relationship could become awkward.

I have found that advice to be avoided and ill-advised.

I don’t ever remember having a fist fight with the person who lived next door or across the street from me. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember ever having a fisticuff with anyone, and certainly not with the elderly woman who brought me freshly baked rhubarb pie every Tuesday morning.

That lady was always welcome knocking on my backdoor with a piping hot pastry that melted in my mouth and awakened taste buds that had been asleep for years.

Or, who could argue with the caring neighbor, an AVON saleswoman, who mentioned I might want to use some moisturizer on my face since even though I was only 36 my face sent signals that I was tapping on the plue 55 age door.

Of course I grabbed up whatever she was selling and applied it generously convinced it is the reason my 82 year old face now looks like I’m only 90.

And the gentleman down the street who quickly came to my rescue when I forgot to raise my garage door before exiting the building, or rather before attempting to exit said structure. His ability to extricate my vehicle from the pile of rubble that once secured my car enclosure was miraculous and thankfully received.

Neighbors are a source of help in times of stress. They solve problems you may not even know you have. They share their expertise, their advise, their food, and even their shoulders when you need one to cry on. What a relief it is to know the person who will take your mail to their house when you are out of town will not open the past due notices to see how behind you are on your car payments.

Yes, neighbors are people to be appreciated and thanked. Make no mistake, it is better to cultivate these connections than to become embroiled in arguments about your need for five years of moisturizer, or your preference for cherry rather than rhubarb pie.