Neighborly

Image by Daniel Nebreda from Pixabay

I’ve recently had some notable interactions (run-ins, you might say) with a couple of my neighbors. Sadly, they were less than positive.

One neighbor came out to let me know in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want to see me in her “yard” ever again. This was after I’d taken a couple of steps from the street onto their dirt lot to deposit a small bag of dog mess in their trash can. It’s not an unreasonable request; I didn’t know them well, and it is technically their property. It’s more a matter of the unkind tone in which I was addressed that I found unsettling.

Another neighbor—one whom we’ve brought cookies to on a few occasions—sent a disgruntled letter to state that she’d had more than enough of hearing the noises from our animals, even threatening to start a neighborhood war. Again, her request was understandable, but she could have easily let me know in person long before it got to that point.

Both of these incidents weighed heavily on my mind—more than I’d have expected them to.

We’re actually very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful neighbors. I’m happy to say we have close relationships with everyone directly beside our house. We’ve even helped host a couple of neighborhood-wide BBQs that have gone off quite well.

This is why it was such a shock to be treated not like a neighbor by these individuals, but instead like a suspicious stranger. It was hurtful, to be honest, on a personal level.

On the other hand, I’ve been thinking about the many positive interactions I’ve had with various people (friends, people in the store, sales reps, those in the medical world, etc.). In my ongoing journey with cancer, I’ve had plenty of good days and bad days. But on every occasion that I’ve had a friendly conversation with someone, I’ll feel noticeably and physically better afterward, regardless of how I was feeling before.

What I’ve noticed is the way we treat other people—whether as friends or as strangers—can be medicine or poison to them in a very real way.

I think it’s worth taking some time to recognize and appreciate the neighborly people in your life—no matter how close they live in proximity to your house.

If you’re willing, I’d like you to consider finding a creative way to say thank you and to let someone know that the way they show up in the world is really making a difference for the better. And hey, why not also be that person yourself?