Hmmmmm…how to get across the importance of neighbors;  of good neighbors…

When hearing about life 100 years ago, with the strong and close-knit communities, towns, neighborhoods and families, do you sometimes feel as though we live in a different world today?

It seems as though our childhood is spent as part of the nucleus of our immediate family and then as soon as we become adults we move off by ourselves and start our own nucleus family and kind of isolate ourselves all over again.

What happened to families living in the same town they grew up in, alongside all of their relatives?  When did that become ‘uncool’?  What happened to that sense of community; the inclusiveness, the familiarity, the feeling of being a part of something greater than oneself?  Where did all the neighbors go?  Does anyone still believe that “it takes a village to raise a child”?

It’s easy to become wrapped up in your own life.  We’re all super-busy with work, school, marriage, kids, homework, play-dates, sports, etc. It’s more convenient not to have to worry about anyone outside of your home, because your plate already feels full.

Which is why it can be so important to involve others around you in your day-to-day life, because you’d be surprised how much help they can be.

Being a good neighbor usually, hopefully, inspires your neighbors to be good ones, too. And this creates an environment that thrives on community; you help them shovel their driveway and rake their yard, and they, in turn, offer to have you over during a power outage to sit in their warm home, powered by their generator.  They care about you and your kids.  They keep an eye on your house when you’re away, for an afternoon or a week.  They offer help during any emergency. And if you’re lucky, you consider them part of your family.

Channel Mr.Rogers.  Really.  Be a great neighbor, in your backyard and in the town.  Greet the postman, get to know the librarians, chat with the guys at the dump and town hall, go to the town farmer’s market, bake sale, plant sale, craft fairs.  Bring cookies or a zucchini bread to welcome new neighbors.  Go as a family to welcome them.  Keep in touch with your neighbors.  Have a BBQ block party.  Or bring them extras from your garden, or baked goods from your kitchen.  Send them Christmas cards.  Send them thank you cards.

This Thanksgiving one of the may things I am grateful for are my amazing neighbors.  My little Beach Rose is lucky to be so loved and cherished by them and she gets to feed their beautiful horses!

The value of ‘a beautiful day in the neighborhood’ is priceless.